Changelog

What's New

Every update, milestone, and breakthrough — tracked from day one. Nexus Pen ships fast.

Apr2026
Latest
Platform Scale — Backend v4.48, 280+ API Endpoints
A massive sprint bringing the Nexus Pen platform to production scale. Over 60 blog posts published, the backend surpassed 280 endpoints, and the AI pipeline was hardened for thousands of concurrent users.
  • Backend v4.48 — 280+ REST endpoints, async rewrite, sub-100ms response times
  • 60+ blog posts covering education, AI, productivity, and student life
  • Flashcard generation, streak tracking, and achievement system
  • Smart AI model routing based on query type and user plan
  • Admin analytics dashboard with real-time user and revenue metrics
  • Push notifications, weekly digest emails, and referral codes
  • Firmware v10.3 — OLED layout fixes, battery icon, BLE stability
v4.48 Backend 280+ Endpoints 60+ Blog Posts
Mar2026
Public Launch
Public Launch — 1,000+ Students, Full Mobile App
Nexus Pen launched publicly in March 2026. Within weeks, over 1,000 students had signed up. The mobile app shipped with seven new screens, the Shopify store went live, and the company rebranded from NeuroPen to Nexus Pen.
  • Official public launch — nexuspen.org live
  • 1,000+ student sign-ups in the first weeks
  • Mobile app v5.5 — Stats, Flashcards, Study Timer, Achievements, Chats
  • Company rebranded: NeuroPen → Nexus Pen
  • Shopify store launched with Free, Plus, and Pro plans
  • Backend v4.18 — 55+ endpoints, token refresh, content safety
  • Firmware v10.0 — spinlock audio, CPU scaling, sine LUT for smooth audio
1,000+ Students App v5.5 Store Live
Feb2026
Beta
Beta Testing — Firmware v9.0, Hardware Validation
February was about hardening. The firmware reached v9.0, beta testers put the pen through real classroom use, and the hardware audio pipeline was fully validated. The MAX98357A amplifier and Dayton Audio speaker pairing delivered clear, loud audio.
  • Firmware v9.0 — stable BLE audio, volume NVS storage, voice commands
  • Beta classroom testing with real students and educators
  • Audio pipeline validated: 24kHz TTS → G.711 u-law → BLE burst → I2S
  • DRAM buffer fix — AUDIO_BUF_SIZE set to 16384 for ESP32 stability
  • Developer mode easter egg — ABC-CBA unlock sequence
  • PCB design finalized — 38 components, 120×18mm 4-layer board
Firmware v9.0 PCB Final Beta Live
Jan2026
AI Integration
Donna AI — Voice Assistant & BLE Audio Pipeline
January brought the defining feature of Nexus Pen: Donna, the on-device AI voice assistant. The full BLE audio pipeline shipped end-to-end, and the pen gained a live OLED display showing real-time AI interaction state.
  • Donna AI assistant — OpenAI-powered voice responses via pen speaker
  • BLE audio pipeline — 24KB/s burst streaming from phone to pen
  • OLED display — real-time mode, battery, BLE, and response indicators
  • FastAPI backend — parallel TTS, 24kHz u-law encoding
  • PTT (push-to-talk) + three button interface on hardware
  • Answer, School, Research, Creative, Language AI modes
Donna AI BLE Audio OLED Live
Aug2025
Founded
Day One — Four High Schoolers, One Idea
Nexus Pen was founded in August 2025 by four high school students in Illinois. Logan Holby began designing the hardware — an ESP32-based pen with I2S audio, BLE, and an OLED display — while the team formed around a shared belief: every student deserves instant, intelligent access to knowledge.
  • Company incorporated, team of four co-founders assembled
  • Hardware concept validated — ESP32-S3, BLE, I2S, OLED
  • First working prototype running basic audio output
  • Initial AI backend design with OpenAI integration

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