Merge pull request #510 from meandavejustice/feat/add-durin-announcement

.forestry/front_matter/templates/blog-post.yml

@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ pages:
 - src/_blog/2021-05-31-distributed-wikipedia-mirror-update.md
 - src/_blog/2022-12-07-testground-in-2022.md
 - src/_blog/2023-01-10-announcing-pin-tweet-to-ipfs.md
+- src/_blog/2023-01-26-announcing-durin.md
 - src/_blog/3s-studio-bringing-unreal-engine-to-ipfs.md
 - src/_blog/a-brave-new-wallet-the-future-of-the-browser-wallet.md
 - src/_blog/a-guide-to-ipfs-connectivity-in-web-browsers.md

src/_blog/2023-01-26-announcing-durin.md

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+title: "Announcing Durin: a New Mobile App for the IPFS Network"
+description: "Durin is a native mobile application for iOS and Android that lets you read and share content on the IPFS network"
+date: 2023-05-11
+permalink: "/announcing-durin/"
+header_image: '/durin-featured-image.png'
+author: David Justice
+tags:
+- Durin
+- mobile
+- ios
+- android
+- app store
+- web3 storage
+- web3
+---
+
+Today we are excited to announce **Durin**, a native mobile application for [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/durin/id1613391995) and [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.protocol.durin) built to give users a new way to read and share with IPFS. It also serves as a sandbox for the Browsers & Platforms team to experiment with IPFS in a mobile environment.
+
+## Background
+
+To date, it's been difficult to access, upload, and share IPFS content using a mobile device. This is for a number of reasons, one of which is that [Kubo](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo)(the initial implementation of the protocol) was simply not built with mobile in mind. The IPFS approach to P2P for many years was about running servers, but [that is changing](https://blog.ipfs.tech/2023-03-implementation-principles/). In the meantime, we wanted to provide a quick and easy way for users to access basic IPFS features on mobile and set up a testing ground for future explorations.
+
+## Accessing IPFS Content
+
+The transport-agnostic nature of IPFS content addresses means there are many ways to find and retrieve content on the IPFS public network. On a mobile device, the best balance of decentralization and device performance is to align with the network model of the device OS - transient connectivity.
+
+We do this in Durin by connecting to the IPFS network via multiple HTTP gateways. On app launch, Durin pings a list of public gateways, and determines which route is the most reliable and fastest way to access the network. This approach is functional but not optimal. We're working on specifications for multi-gateway connectivity patterns which balance a number of factors - such as verifiability guarantees, reader privacy, and not overloading gateways.
+
+<br>
+
+<img src="../assets/announcing-durin-ipfs/gateway-durin.png" alt="gateway list">
+
+IPFS addresses are not natively supported in most web browsers or any mobile operating systems today. Durin registers as an `ipfs` scheme handler so that addresses are handled when encountered in applications and on the web.
+
+On iOS Safari `ipfs://` protocol links will be redirected to Durin, where the app will translate and redirect the user to the fastest public gateway, making the content available on mobile. Unfortunately the auto-redirects do not work using Chrome's android app. They have not yet [implemented `registerProtocolHandler`](https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=178097&q=protocol%20handler%20mobile&can=2)). 
+
+<br>
+
+<img src="../assets/announcing-durin-ipfs/durin-redirect.gif" alt="redirect functionality on mobile safari">
+
+## Sharing to IPFS from Mobile
+
+Mobile devices are transiently connected and low-powered, so they do not make good servers. For sharing files and data to IPFS, Durin uses a [pinning service](https://docs.ipfs.tech/concepts/persistence/#persistence-permanence-and-pinning) to do this on behalf of the user.
+
+We currently rely on [web3.storage](https://web3.storage/) for file uploads. `web3.storage` is a service that makes decentralized file storage accessible by hosting data on IPFS for the user, the way a web host does for HTTP today. NOTE: _Using a single service like this is not ideal, as users don’t hold those keys. We plan to experiment with approaches to ensuring maximal user ownership of their data while also providing remote storage and data availability._
+
+Durin also saves a local history of uploads already shared.
+
+<br>
+
+<img src="../assets/announcing-durin-ipfs/filelist-durin.png" alt="uploaded files list">
+
+Using a single remote service is a usable first step, but doesn't provide long term user control of the data published. We're looking at tighter integration with local OS data storage, local sharing between devices when possible, and pluggable remote service support.
+
+## Install Durin
+
+Durin is available now for mobile phones in the iOS app store and Google Play store.
+<br /> 
+<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/durin/id1613391995" class="cta-button"> Get Durin in iOS App Store </a>
+<br />
+<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.protocol.durin" class="cta-button"> Get Durin in Google Play Store</a>
+
+## The Future
+
+Durin is an experiment in learning how to expose and integrate IPFS features into mobile operating systems in ways which align optimally with those environments. We're trying out variety of ideas from contacts integration, photo sync & backup, filecoin storage, peer to peer bluetooth connectivity.
+
+We'd love to hear your ideas and feedback, and have you participate!
+
+* [ipfs-shipyard/durin on Github](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/durin)
+* [HackMd project document](https://hackmd.io/XtxGZoxqQ46X1GO7srrhMQ)
+* [Feedback link](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/durin/issues)
+
+Join the #browsers-and-platforms channel which is bridged across the [Filecoin Slack](https://filecoin.io/slack/), [IPFS Discord](https://discord.gg/vZTcrFePpt) and [Element/Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#browsers-and-standards:ipfs.io).
+
+Checkout the IPFS Thing talk, discussing Durin's role and some future ideas for the app.
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QkhnKm-fCs4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+## Shoutout
+
+Shout out to [Trigram](https://www.trigram.co/) for continued work on Durin.