Another Step Closer to Zero |
On Monday we moved from Urbit version 412k to 411k. This is a major upgrade to the Urbit network. Read all about it—and all about the other exciting news in the Urbit ecosystem—below. |
411k is here |
In case you didn’t know, Urbit operates according to a versioning paradigm that is both utterly novel and contrary to to the received wisdom of most software projects. Instead of going up in version numbers every time the network upgrades, versions of the Urbit network go down until they hit zero—which we call Kelvin Zero, in reference to the absolute lowest limit of the thermodynamic temperature scale.
Our upgrade from 412k to 411k brings a major scalability upgrade to the network, clearing the way for growth like we’ve never seen before. It also includes the much-anticipated Encrypted Remote Scry, which will be a major boon for developers writing apps that handle private data.
Read all the technical details here. |
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The ultimate way to discover Urbit apps |
One challenge decentralized networks face is that there’s no central place to discover new software or content. The Urbit Foundation’s newly formed Urbit Labs team has designed an app, %hits, to solve this problem.
You can think of %hits as an app store plus a social graph rolled into one. Leveraging %pals, the app from ~paldev for making friends on Urbit, %hits ranks apps based on what your Urbit friends are using. There’s even a trending tab to find the hottest of the moment apps.
Download today at ~bitdeg/hits. |
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NEAR on Urbit |
More from our crack team of developers at Urbit Labs:
The team is finishing the first step of Urbit’s integration with the NEAR project. Once this work is complete, we’ll have an end-to-end workflow for developers to write, test, and deploy NEAR apps that combine NEAR’s public, on-chain data and code with private information on your Urbit ship.
When the front end of your app is running locally, there is no longer any single point of failure for accessing the NEAR blockchain. The era of decentralized front ends has begun. |
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Highlighted Media |
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Zero K’s ~poldec-tonteg had a great conversation with Octu’s Nick Simmons (~simfur-ritwed) and Kenny Rowe (~sicdev-pilnup), two veterans of the Urbit ecosystem who have now started a member-driven venture DAO investing in teams building on Urbit. Listen to their discussion of “prosumer” products, how Urbit can replace SaaS, and more. |
Want to keep abreast of all things lighter than air? Grab a copy of BLIMP Biannual Journal Issue 1. Featuring dirigible-related writing from Michael Clune, Scott McLanahan, and more. Blimp Corp, the publisher of BLIMP Biannual, is a collective which began on Urbit in the Steppe Engineering group. |
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The Mars Review of Books, the first print magazine to grow out of the Urbit network, is offering something new this time around. With the sudden death of Sports Illustrated, they decided to take on the responsibility of offering yearly swimsuit editions. Pre-order the next issue or buy a subscription to receive all the most important discussions in tech, literature, and art—now with more swimsuits. |
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Odds & Ends |
Some quick hits from on and around the network this past month: Urbit’s shrubbery is growing. Read about this ambitious project, spearheaded by ~hastuc-dibtux, to overhaul Urbit’s Clay and Gall vanes. The much-anticipated Urbit Systems Technical Journal is set for release in late April. Check back at urbitsystems.tech for updates. Native Planet launched an Urbit app for Groundseg, allowing you to control and manage your hardware on the go. Downloade at ~nattyv/groundseg The beta product from %alphabet has just launched. Users can now make markets with anyone, in a sovereign manner. Get it from ~midbet-dopdev. Our most recent cohort of Hoon Academy students just finished, bringing 24 new Hoon programmers into the world. They’ll all get some sweet merch.
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As always, we look forward to seeing you on the network!
–The team @ Urbit Foundation |
