Happy new year! Zaparoo Core v2.1.0 and Zaparoo App v.1.4.1 are now live. This release finalizes the transition from TapTo to Zaparoo and includes many new features and bug fixes.

In this community spotlight I want to show off an awesome project by Anime0t4ku. They've created a printable booklet that lets you browse and launch a selection of games from Pixel Cherry Ninja's favorites using QR codes and the Zaparoo App.

Zaparoo works on the Steam Deck! An initial release of Zaparoo Core is now available to try on SteamOS on the Steam Deck. This is a beta release and has some rough edges, but if you're comfortable running some commands in a terminal you can try it out right now.

The Zaparoo Designer's URL has changed to a new location. Please update your bookmarks to the new location:

https://design.zaparoo.org

Now that the app has been positioned as the primary supported way of using the Zaparoo Core service, I think it's only fair others get to have a go at contributing to it or using it as a base for their own work. This is part of my ongoing commitment to Zaparoo as an open standard.

Developer V1605 has joined the Zaparoo organization and has contributed some new projects for everyone to try out. These include a design for a wireless reader using an ESP32, a floppy drive project, and a base template for using the Zaparoo API in your own projects.

I have now released the design files for the Zaparoo Zap Pad NFC reader case on GitHub. This case is compatible with the black PN532 NFC USB-C reader module.

TapTo will now be called Zaparoo! All directly associated projects will be rebranded to reflect this name change. The name Zaparoo is also in the process of being trademarked and will have very different terms of use compared to TapTo.

This is a minor release that only affects the MiSTer platform.

Version 2.0.0 of TapTo Core has several breaking changes compared to the previous versions:

• The TapTo Life app must be updated to the latest version available on the app stores (v1.2) before it can connect to TapTo.
• The taptui.sh script has now been deprecated and will no longer be shipped with TapTo on MiSTer. It may be updated to be compatible again in the future, but the TapTo Life app is now the primary supported way to interact with the TapTo service.
• Management of mappings is not yet integrated in the TapTo Life app. Either use the TapTo CLI and API to manage them manually or use the old nfc.csv file temporarily. This functionality will be added to the TapTo Life app soon.
• Writing to tokens using a physical NFC reader is also not implemented in the TapTo Life app yet, but will also be added soon. Either use the app itself to write or use the CLI.