With the marketcap reaching new heights in USD, I believe there is value in continuing NuDroid development from where we left it here: [Passed] NuDroid upgrade v5 (April 2016)
Some work on Nubitsj have been done and the developer have been compensated for that at that time.
The developments have been stalled in June 2016 due to the loss of the peg. However I’ve kept most of the granted NuBits funds trusting that 1 day they would be back at their stable $1. Therefore the remaining $12,000 of this grant is still available for developments. However the previous developer have indicated to no longer continue the work. The exisiting contract to host the current App runs out in January, so some action is required now.
I like to propose to have some urgent developments done focussed on improving the usability of the current App and ensuring the continuation of development thereafter.
Priority 1 Update nodes
Currently the App doesn’t really work when downloaded and installed. You will have to manually add an existing node in the configuration settings of NuDroid. That is not great for new users and from a support perspective. The reason it doesn’t work right away is that the nodes are hard coded and became obsolete over time. Therefore it is required to update the nodes in the code.
Priority 2 Quick sync
The highest priority is to basically skip reading all the blocks from scratch. This would cut the sync times back to mere seconds over hours or days right now. From a security point of view it is already a bit moot as it only reads the headers instead of all the blocks. This change will greatly improve the user experience. It would be even more useful for holding or transacting NuBits than the standard client.
Priority 3 Increase reliability
To increase the reliability of the App it would be required to add another trusted server to the network. The 2nd trusted pre-programmed server configured in NuDroid is currently Anton which has been abandoned over a year ago. From a resiliency perspective I believe there should be another default secondary server ideally hosted by someone else.
Small tweaks in the configuration of the App are needed to set it up as the default server. This can be done after the server is running as manual configuration for a secondary default server is already possible.
My proposal is to work with another developer to complete the above priorities in the short term. We will also need to change the ID of the App on the Google Play appstore as this is currently related to the previous developer. I’ve already created a developer account for Nu which can be used for this.
Keen to hear your thoughts. My next step is negotiating with a new developer when the above priorities could be delivered. Once that clear I will publlish a motion in this forum seeking support from the Shareholders for the slightly amended use of earlier granted funds.
