Announcing the release of Gridsync 0.4.0: the latest version of our graphical user interface for Tahoe-LAFS/S4

We’re excited to announce that we have rolled out Gridsync 0.4.0 — the latest version of our graphical user interface for Tahoe-LAFS/S4. This release contains a number of new features, improvements, and bug-fixes and is a recommended upgrade for all customers of our Simple Secure Storage Service (S4). Among the latest changes include:

Tor integration. Gridsync now offers built-in support for tunneling outgoing connections over the Tor anonymity network. By checking the “Connect over the Tor network” option on invite dialogs, users can connect to storage grids and share folders without revealing their geographical location to other parties. Please note, however, that Gridsync’s own Tor support largely depends on the integrations provided by Tahoe-LAFS and magic-wormhole, neither of which have been audited. Accordingly, the feature should be considered experimental or for testing purposes only. See docs/tor-integration.md for further details regarding Tor integration.

History view. A new “history” view has been added, displaying a chronological record of recent changes made to magic-folders (showing, in particular, the file/folder in question; whether it was “added”, “updated”, or “deleted”; the relative modification time; and an accompanying icon/thumbnail). This makes it easier for the users to “catch up” on the recent changes made within a folder and provides a more accessible location within the UI for performing file-specific actions (like opening a document that has just been edited or its enclosing folder).

Numerous UI/UX improvements. During our usability testing session conducted at RightsCon, we identified a number of issues that may have made Gridsync difficult to use or understand for some users. Accordingly, a number of changes have been made throughout the application’s interface with the aim of addressing some of these problems and further improving accessibility and user experience — for example, larger toolbar icons, a dedicated per-folder “action” button, an overhauled Preferences pane, in-app “help” buttons/dialogs, improved font and widget scaling on macOS and Windows, clarified language and iconography, and much more. Because providing good UX is an iterative process that requires continuous refinement in conjunction with our users, we anticipate — and are already planning for — many more improvements to come in the future.

For a more complete listing of changes available in Gridsync version 0.4.0, please see the full changelog available on GitHub.

At Least Authority, we strive to build cloud storage products and services that are free and open source, respectful of users’ privacy, easy-to-use, and affordable. Our Tahoe-LAFS-based Simple Secure Storage Service (S4) cryptographically guarantees the confidentiality and integrity of your data and already is fully compatible with the latest release of Gridsync. We invite anyone looking for a private and secure cloud storage solution to learn more or to sign up for a free 30-day trial today.

If you have any questions or comments about Gridsync or our Simple Secure Storage Service (S4), please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at contactus@leastauthority.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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