Kickstarter never fails to spice up the startup world, with projects from clothes and jewelry to cooking supplies and music albums. The site is even home to a vibrator — which has funded $135,796 of their original $50,000.
From the startups at Kickstarter, there emerged:
SPUD: The Spontaneous Pop-Up Display
SPUD is a 24-inch HD display that can be popped up or collapsed like an umbrella. The display is 23x larger than a smartphone screen and 4x larger than a laptop screen, according to SPUD’s Kickstarter page.
Plus, the SPUD display can’t be cracked or chipped. Instead of glass, it’s made of a flexible polymer. The best part? It can even be washed. Though it may be hard to get it dirty, since an attached case keeps it protected when it’s deflated.
Speaking of which: when it’s collapsed, it’s about the size of a book, according to SPUD: 5.64 inches wide, 2.17 inches high, and 7.52 inches long. It also weighs less than two pounds!
The size and portability makes SPUD a perfect companion for anyone who misses their desktop display on the go. The site references sales visits, trade shows, camping, on-the-go gaming, and picnics in particular, but the display could really be useful almost anywhere: for college dorm rooms, long trips, or school presentations.
Users could also extend their displays, meaning they could use SPUD as a second display instead of a projector. With a wireless keyboard and mouse, SPUD could become its own little desktop computer — even with just a smartphone.
Thanks to their multitude of backers, SPUD has even been able to add a speaker to the projector, allowing users to enjoy a more integrated sound experience with their displays.
The project was launched on November 1 and was fully funded ($33,000) in just 35 minutes, with a funding total of $337,283 at the time of publication. The steep increase in backers has allowed SPUD to unlock “stretch goals” like a built-in speaker and improved battery life.