Zingo! Release Announcements

Zcash Apps
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Release: Zingo 1.3.4 (Experimental)

Today ZingoLabs Vermilion is proud to announce Zingo-1.3.4 BackGround Sync.

This work was enabled by @ZcashGrants, and done in collaboration with ECC mobile engineers.

It’s been 20 days since ZingoLabs Vermilion released its 1.3.0 ShardTree port. Since that time we’ve been hacking away building the things users need now, faster-safer-easier zcash.

We’ve begun work in collaboration with NymTech, the Zcash Foundation, and the Electric Coin Company to build:

  • better network privacy
  • modern Rust based infrastructure
  • faster and more general sync algorithms

All that’s necessary, but this post is not really about that work. This is about the fantastic work done by @Honza @Lukas and @Juanky implementing effective Back Ground Sync solutions for Android and iOS mobile devices.

What’s “BackGround Sync”?

BackGround Sync is Zingo running in the middle of the night syncing to the blockchain.

If your device is plugged in and attached to wifi, then it will sync for 5 minutes each night. This means that the faster sync implementation that we released 20 days ago, will now have a chance to run!

Our in-house tests benchmark roughly 1 month’s worth of blocks syncing each night.

To ensure that BackGround Sync is active, all you need to do after installing version 1.3.4, is open the app, and then send it “to the background”, by selecting a different app to focus on.

Today is an experimental beta release, so if you are brave enough to try it, then you can access Zingo 1.3.4 by opting into Android or iOS test releases. These releases will be live once the “Apple App”, and “Google Play”, Centralized Gate Keeper Stores approve them through their review processes:

Android/Google: Zingo 1.3.4 (Experimental)
iOS/Apple: Zingo 1.3.4 (Experimental)

Finally we want to thank @hanh the inimitable force behind YWallet. @hanh keeps tabs on our progress and consistently reports issues and bugs to us. YWallet provides an invaluable option to Zcash Users. We’re all better off because of the vibrant competition.

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Nice and great feature! I’ll test it.

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Great function!

You and your team are on fire! :fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:

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New beta version 1.3.4 (from the beta program on Google Play).

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This is really great. *testing :crossed_fingers:

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I am pleased to announce that after 13 days of testing, we are submitting our 1.3.4 (Effective Background Sync) release for review to the iOS and Android app stores. This means that once Apple/Google approves, 1.3.4 will be the production version available in the app stores.

If the Zingo!-1.3.4 mobile app is left in the background our testing and benchmarking shows that conservatively, approximately 30_000 blocks will be synced over-night.

For Android, and ideal conditions (reliable cheap network and power) the number of blocks can be significantly higher.

The real accomplishment here, is not the new UX improving feature, it’s the new level of engagement and collaboration happening across our community.

@Honza and @Lukas (as previously mentioned) offered fantastic support and review for the code that enables background sync, but that’s really just a part of what’s happening!

While @Edicksonjga and @Juanky were working tirelessly to produce a tested, and effective background sync. Collaborations with other community members have spun up. In some cases core zcash organizations like the ECC and ZF have begun working with Zingoistas to extend fundamental projects to support lightclient needs. In other cases we’ve begun working with more diverse zcashers, and started connecting with the wider privacy community to integrate complimentary technologies like Zcash and nym.

The upshot is that you can expect another release with more features soon.

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New version of Zingo available on Google Play.

:+1:

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Hi z-folks! :wink:

Before I dive into adding some context, I first want to express my gratitude to @zancas and @Juanky for everything.

Community members, hear this:
It’s been only a month since Zeboot, and Zingo has already rolled out background syncing. I met @zancas at the rooftop bar, and when he discovered who I am and what I do, the discussion about BG syncing was obviously something Zancas had in mind already. I remember him asking if I could help, and I immediately agreed because that’s what WE ALL want and what WE ALL should ideally do, right? Our goal is the same; we all wish for Zcash to succeed and thrive. I don’t want to be involved solely in ECC contributions. Two weeks later, the first prototype of BG sync was completed, and testing started. Blazingly fast, what do you think?

For me personally, it was a really cool experience. I enjoyed every moment, and I hope this is just the start. I wish more devs would come together and create something amazing.

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Oh, man @Lukas , such a inspiring message.
Thanks for your huge help in the implementation, your patience and your time.
I hope we continue collaborating in the future.

A big piece of credit is for @zancas who is the perfect glue to stick the community (or part of it) together.

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Hey folks! It’s been fifteen days since our last release.

Today I am thrilled to announce a new release, Zingo 1.3.5!

Immediate UX Upgrades:

  • mobile device security-locking to prevent unauthenticated access to Zingo on unlocked devices
  • Portuguese language support, thanks to @vito !!!
  • basic mode is now Tron-blue colored! (We’re eager to hear if people like it.) This should help make it obvious which mode you’re in.
  • Long Memos now have a new screen
  • wider vertical spacing for menu items (for those of us with large thumbs)
  • bug fix for edge case: Loading a YWallet short view key
  • bug fix for edge case: Fresh wallet and no server

AND… drum roll…

  • Address Book Support (with explicit authentication warnings)

This Address book work is the result of many, many hours of hard work by @Juanky (who is also responsible for almost all the other user-facing features!)

Props to @Juanky !

Meanwhile in addition to these fantastic new features that impact users today, the ZingoLabs (Vermilion) team has also been hard at work “behind the scenes”), developing the groundwork for the next set of UX enhancing innovations.

Regtest Mode

We’ve added code to zebrad that will make it easier to test against! I think it’s really important to clarify immediate beneficiaries of this work:

  • zebrad (The Zcash Foundation) gets more features
  • lightclients (e.g. Zingo-Mobile, and YWallet) get a requirement fulfilled that permits running existing tests against zebrad
  • zcashd (The ECC) gets to move toward a well-deserved retirement, removing significant development and maintenance burdens from ECC engineering
  • ZingoLabs Vermilion gets to interface with the zebrad codebase, and zebrad developers

This work will have a positive impact for multiple different groups within the larger zcash (and indeed Privacy) community. This is by design we are responding to the constraints Big Mama Necessity has provided, and delivering on goals that align with e.g. the ECC priority of retiring zcashd. If it seems to you, that development in our space is accelerating… well it seems that way to me too.

Librustzcash Upgrades

We’re also contributing to the core librustzcash sync implementation this work will allow new consumers to benefit from the sync-engine in librustzcash, including zingolib, but also consumers like web wallets. Again by contributing to critical areas that benefit multiple member of the development community we are ensuring that our efforts produce a high ROI.

Wrapup

In summary, we’re heads down contributing in the ways that seem best for zcash and privacy. I’ve highlighted some of our efforts above, and pointed out that we are efficient and offering immediate benefits to end users. To end this post I want to say that probably the most important part of this process has been the great pleasure of building a great thing with great people. It’s been fantastic working with all of you in all your different roles. It’s a real privilege to be writing this post for you, the builders of a better way of being.

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Hey Zingo guys!

Thank you for the update and the hard work! I’m so excited about this new features. I’ll test it. See you in the next update :fire:

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Congratulations!

Zingo is looking better and better :fire:

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Greeting Zcashers!

If you’ve been following this thread, then I hope you are starting to notice a pattern… if you just landed… I hope that you’re inspired to stick around.

Today, 14 days since our last release, we are announcing release 1.3.7.

Counting our release immediately before ZeBoot, this is roughly 1 significant release every 15 days.

New Features

  • upon the request from the community we have a added a donate-to-zingo option. By default users can send us 1 Zenny ! A nice thing about donating is that you can send a memo!

  • opt-in to auto-lightwalletd selection, this feature allows the client to poll public lightwalletd’s and select the one that’s fastest for it.

  • bugfixes and UI upgrades

Meanwhile, behind the scenes we’re actively collaborating with librustzcash and zebrad engineers to build capabilities that benefit the wider ecosystem.

In the very near future look forward to ZIP317 and TEX support, slightly further out expect ledger support, and even faster sync, beyond that Nym!

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