What's New in FlashySurf

Version 2.1.0 - Gamification & Points System December 30, 2025

MAJOR GAMIFICATION UPDATE! Introducing the points system, 5 new visual themes, referral rewards, and critical algorithm fixes.

Major Features: Gamification & Points System

• Earn While You Learn: Introduced a complete economy system. Earn 4 points for every correct answer and 1 point for incorrect answers (capped at 50 points/day).
• Spend Your Points: Use earned points on 30-minute breaks (20 pts), skip cards (9 pts), and unlock visual themes.

New Feature: Visual Themes Store

• Theme Store: Unlock 5 unique visual themes in the settings popup, including Dark Mode, Gold, Galaxy (animated stars), and Cherry Blossom (falling petals). Test any theme before purchasing.

New Feature: Referral System

• Earn Referral Bonuses: Get 75 points instantly whenever a friend installs FlashySurf using your unique referral link.
• Push Notifications: Receive immediate notifications when referral bonuses are earned.
• Uncapped Rewards: Unlike daily question points (capped at 50), referral bonuses are unlimited.

Bug Fixes & Improvements

• Semantic Clustering Fixed: Resolved critical issue where the embedded semantic clustering database was outdated. The "similar questions" algorithm now actually serves semantically related content correctly.
• UI Improvements: Skip card button added, break timer shows countdown on button, note-taking no longer triggers website hotkeys, reorganized help section.

Site Change - Anki Deck Support December 4, 2025

Added support for Anki decks, giving you access to thousands of community-created flashcard decks.

New Feature

• Anki Deck Compatibility: FlashySurf now supports importing Anki decks, opening access to thousands of community-created study materials across every subject imaginable.
  Use the flashcard creator tool to convert your Anki decks into FlashySurf format and start learning passively right away.

Version 2.0.5 - UI Improvements November 17, 2025

Minor UI bugfixes and layout improvements.

Bug Fixes & Improvements

• Layout Display Fix: Fixed flashcard collections layout display issues.
• Increased Popup Width: Increased popup width to 400px for better spacing and readability.
• Update Event Handling: Improved update vs install event handling in the extension lifecycle.

Version 2.0.4 - Website Exclusion November 17, 2025

Added custom website exclusion feature for more control over where flashcards appear.

New Features

• Website Exclusion: Users can now specify specific websites where flashcards won't appear, giving you complete control over your study experience.

Version 2.0.3 - Bug Fixes & Share Feature September 23, 2025

Added share request feature and fixed critical flashcard distribution bug.

New Features

• Share Request Popup: Periodic popup encouraging users to share the extension with friends and study groups.

Critical Bug Fix

• Flashcard Selection Bug: Fixed semantic similarity bug that was reducing flashcard appearances by 35% below expected frequency.

Adjustments

• Probability Thresholds: Fine-tuned flashcard selection probabilities: 45% regular, 35% semantically similar, 15% failed, 5% special.

Version 2.0.2 - Minor Bug Fixes September 13, 2025

Minor bugfixes and improvements to enhance user experience and fix compatibility issues.

Minor Bugfixes & Changes

• Button Compatibility Fix: Fixed issue where the add collection button wouldn't work on certain sites like Chrome managed sites or the new tab page. Now it opens the FlashySurf website to ensure the add collection functionality works properly.
• Increased Flashcard Height: Made the maximum height of flashcards much larger to improve user experience and better display content.

Version 2.0.1 - Bug Fixes September 9, 2025

Minor but important fixes to ensure the v2.0 experience is smooth and stable.

Bug Fixes

• UI Layout Fix: Fixed bug that pushed flashcard collection names into the title area of the popup interface.
• Crash Prevention: Fixed critical bug that crashed the extension when no collections were enabled.

Version 2.0 - The Big One September 4, 2025

FlashySurf has evolved from a SAT-only tool into a complete study platform. After seeing consistent 60-100 point SAT improvements from users, I decided to expand the system to work with any subject while keeping all the proven passive learning features that made it so effective.

Core Architecture

• Universal Study Platform: FlashySurf now supports custom flashcard collections for any subject. The extension name, version, and description have been updated to reflect this broader scope.
• Multi-Collection Support: Complete data structure overhaul to track progress across multiple flashcard collections simultaneously.
• Maintained SAT Excellence: The original SAT system remains as a flagship example with all its advanced features intact.

Custom Flashcard System

• Collection Management: Create, import, edit, and delete custom flashcard collections. Each collection has its own statistics, notes, and metadata.
• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easy collection uploads and downloads for backup or sharing with others.
• Collection Selection: Enable or disable specific collections to focus on exactly what you want to study.
• Safety Features: Confirmation dialogs prevent accidental collection deletion.

AI-Powered Generation

• Automatic Collection Creation: Upload study materials and let AI create flashcard collections automatically.
• Daily Limits: 10 AI collections per day to keep the service sustainable.
• Custom Instructions: Add specific guidance about what you want the AI to focus on.

Enhanced Statistics

• Cross-Collection Analytics: View aggregated performance across all active collections or dive into individual collection stats.
• Collection-Specific Tracking: Each collection maintains its own accuracy rates and question counts.
• Interactive Display: Hover tooltips show detailed statistics for individual collections.

User Interface

• Redesigned Popup: Modern interface with intuitive collection management and responsive design.
• Visual Collection States: Clear indicators show which collections are active.
• Enhanced Help System: Improved onboarding and documentation for new features.
• Feedback Integration: Direct feedback links for suggestions and bug reports.

Technical Notes

• Semantic Clustering Limitation: Advanced weakness detection using 87 semantic clusters currently only works with SAT collections. Custom collections use standard spaced repetition.
• Improved Error Handling: Better error management and user feedback for collection operations.
• Code Organization: Modular functions and improved maintainability for future features.

Version 1.9.1 - Quality of Life August 2025

Small fixes and feature announcements to keep things running smoothly.

Improvements

• Hotkey Fix: Typing in note-taking textbox no longer triggers website hotkeys.
• Feature Announcement: Added popup introducing the new generate reports feature.

Version 1.9.0 - Performance Reports August 6, 2025

Added visual performance reports and major UI improvements with Shadow DOM implementation.

New Features

• Performance Reports: Generate detailed visual reports showing your top 3 weakest topic areas. Reports are shareable images perfect for tutors or study groups.
• Smart Caching: Reports cached for 12 hours for consistent feedback while minimizing API calls.

Algorithm Improvements

• Note-Based Analysis: System now analyzes your saved notes from incorrect answers for more accurate weakness detection.
• Optimized Question Selection: Fine-tuned to 35% semantically similar questions and 15% direct reviews.

UI Overhaul

• Shadow DOM Implementation: Flashcards now use Shadow DOM to prevent CSS conflicts with websites.
• Redesigned Settings: Cleaner popup layout with collapsible sections and better organization.
• Safety Features: Confirmation dialogs before deleting notes.

Bug Fixes

• Review Question Fix: Fixed persistent issue where questions answered correctly after initial failure continued appearing as review questions.

Version 1.8.0 - AI-Powered Learning July 26, 2025

Major algorithm enhancement with semantic clustering and intelligent weakness targeting.

Smart Learning Features

• Semantic Question Clustering: All SAT questions grouped into 87 topic clusters using advanced similarity analysis.
• Intelligent Question Selection: Perfect balance: 50% new questions, 30% similar to failed ones, 20% direct review.
• Weakness Detection: System automatically identifies your 3 weakest topic areas and serves more questions to help improve.

Technical Implementation

• Clustering Algorithm: Agglomerative Clustering using bge-large-en-v1.5 embeddings to create 87 distinct topic groups.
• Performance Analytics: Cluster-level accuracy tracking with performance weighting algorithms.
• Optimized Selection: Promise-based asynchronous question handling with comprehensive debugging.

User Experience

• Break Button Fix: 30-minute break now works without requiring page reloads.
• Force Delay: Minimum delay between flashcards to prevent back-to-back questions.

Version 1.7.0 - Personalized Review July 19, 2025

Introduced intelligent question tracking and personalized review system.

New Features

• Failed Question Tracking: System remembers questions you answer incorrectly and mixes them back in for review.
• Smart Question Mix: 60% new questions, 40% previously failed questions for optimal learning.

Improvements

• Better Repetition Avoidance: Improved algorithm prevents recently answered questions from reappearing.
• Automatic List Cleaning: Questions correctly answered are automatically removed from the failed list.

Version 1.6.0 - Break Timer May 23, 2025

Added break functionality and improved question rotation.

New Features

• 30-Minute Break Timer: Pause all flashcards when you need to focus on work or reading.

Improvements

• Question ID Tracking: Prevents seeing the same question back-to-back for smoother experience.

Version 1.5.0 - Note-Taking May 13, 2025

Introduced active learning through note-taking on incorrect answers.

New Features

• Note-Taking for Incorrect Answers: Write down why you made a mistake to reinforce learning. Notes saved in popup for review.
• Question Tips: Some questions now display helpful tips without giving away the answer.

Early Versions (1.0 - 1.4) April - May 2025

Foundation releases that established FlashySurf as a reliable study tool.

Key Milestones

• Browser Extension Launch (v1.1): Graduated from userscript to proper extension for easier installation.
• Closable Flashcards (v1.3): Added close button after timed delay for user control.
• Improved Accuracy (v1.4): Enhanced answer checking and removed unnecessary permissions.
• Initial Release (v1.0): Core concept of passive SAT learning with math/english questions, stats, and explanations.