BEACON 3.1.1: The Project That Wouldn’t Sit Still
- Rich Washburn
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Beacon 3.0 — From Signal to System
Firmware, NFC, and the future of an AI-built side project that refuses to stay small.
I didn’t mean to build a product. I meant to see what would happen if you could wear Wi-Fi.
Beacon started as a curiosity — a weekend experiment that just… never stopped working. Then people started asking for it. Then those people had ideas. And now here we are: firmware updates, new hardware tricks, a web companion, and a community that’s quietly forming around a blinking little light that says, “Hey, check your Wi-Fi.”
So yeah — the project’s growing up a bit.
Now Flashable (For Real This Time)
The big update: you can now flash or update your Beacon firmware directly from this page.
If you’ve got a Beacon 2.0 or newer, plug it into your computer, pick your firmware, and you’re off. This is the same site where I host firmware for a few of my other projects too — so consider it a little open lab for all the things I’m building.
Flashing will reset your Beacon (factory fresh), but it’ll also unlock the freedom to swap personalities whenever you want.
Signal or Node — One Board, Two Worlds
Every Beacon now ships with the same universal hardware. What changes is the firmware — and that changes everything.
Beacon Signal (v3.1.1) Your portable, offline broadcaster. Creates its own Wi-Fi network and hosts up to four microsite profiles. Perfect for business cards, pop-ups, or anywhere you want to broadcast yourself without internet.
Beacon Node (v2.8.0) Your connected micro-server. Joins an existing Wi-Fi network and serves richer content — video embeds, menus, external links, the works. Ideal for venues, installations, and permanent setups.
Same board. Different personality. Flash between them anytime.
Now with NFC + QR + Three Ways to Connect
The newest Beacons now include a built-in NFC chip — which means they double as tap cards. You can reprogram the NFC tag right from your phone to point anywhere you want: portfolio, booking form, payment link, whatever.
Some models also feature a custom vinyl-cut QR code for the visual crowd. So that one slim rectangle now:
Hosts four local Wi-Fi microsites
Broadcasts up to 400 feet
Acts as a programmable NFC tap card
Displays a custom QR code
Three connection methods. One unified device.
Built with AI
Beacon’s been my pet project for about a year and a half — a collision of AI tools, coffee, and too many late nights.
Every piece of this — from firmware scaffolding to site layout — has been touched by AI somewhere along the way. Grok, Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude… each helped shape parts of the build. But the boards, the cases, the assembly — that’s still all me.
It’s become my favorite demonstration of what one person can do with the right mix of AI, curiosity, and caffeine.
Beacon Studio — The First Portal
To support all this, I launched Beacon Studio — a lightweight web companion that helps you prep your content before you upload it.
You can:
Resize and compress images
Generate branded QR codes
Write and format your text content
Grab quick stock assets to fill gaps
It’s not a “platform” in the SaaS sense — it’s more like a prep deck. Simple, fast, and offline-friendly.
Still Experimenting
I’ve had feature requests all over the map — and some of them are brilliant. The next one on deck: a built-in voice recorder.
Someone suggested it, and I loved it. I’m keeping it simple — no cloud models, no background AI pipeline rewriting your words. Just local recording and transcription. The idea is to add a transcription tool in Beacon Studio so you can upload audio and convert it cleanly. You get your text, you decide what to do with it.
Other ideas floating around:
A built-in laser pointer (prolly a cat lover lol)
A thumb-drive variant with onboard storage (for presentations)
Bulk or “team pack” bundles — buy two, get a third you can dedicate as a Node.
I’m not promising timelines yet, but the sandbox is open.
If You’re an Investor or a Maker
I’m always looking for people who see the same spark in this that I do.If you’re an investor, tinkerer, or just someone who loves early-stage tech, let’s talk. Beacon’s already shipping, but the roadmap is wide open — and there’s plenty of room for collaboration.
Between the hardware possibilities (voice, storage, etc.) and the software side (Studio tools, community features, APIs), this could scale into something special.
Pre-Orders Now Open
If you’d like a Beacon Signal, I’m now taking pre-orders. Until the full ordering system is live, just use the contact form here to reach out and place an order.
The new Beacons start at $149 USD or $169 USD with custom vinyl-cut QR. Every Beacon includes built-in NFC and full support for both Signal and Node firmware.
Feel free to reach out, ask questions, or reserve yours. These are handmade, AI-assisted, and built to broadcast a little bit of who you are.
The Big Picture
Beacon’s not a gadget anymore — it’s proof of concept in motion. A one-person, AI-powered project that’s turning into a living ecosystem.
One board. Two modes. Three connection methods.Built in public, powered by curiosity, and always evolving.
If you’ve ever wanted to see what it looks like when AI and creativity collide —you’re looking at it.
Be your own signal.