Crowdfunding project of the week: the SPUD is a portable 24-inch monitor

We are back with another ‘Crowdfunding project of the week’, where we highlight the hottest tech gadgets from sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. You can find great gadgets in there, but we all know there is also plenty of stuff we can live without. This is why we are here to weed out the culprits!

Other featured projects: 

• Remix IO is an Android 4K set-top box, PC and gaming console
• SunnyBAG LEAF+ is a solar panel you can take anywhere
• Betterspot VPN router

This week we are taking a look at what could be the most portable 24-inch monitor out there. But how can that be? After all, a 24-inch monitor is… well, a 24-inch monitor! Is it possible to make that portable?

The SPUD (short for Spontaneous Pop-up Display) is pretty much a 720p DLP projector with its own white screen. This is why it can be folded to the size of a paperback book – 17 cm wide, 5.5 cm high, 19 cm long. It also weighs only 2 pounds, so you should be able to carry it around in any bag with no sacrificed comfort.

The idea is really quite awesome, yet it’s a simple product. This is essentially a portable projector with HDMI connectivity. Any laptop, smartphone or tablet with HDMI support can take advantage of the SPUD. It’s even possible to use wireless HDMI adapters with it, such as a Chromecast, Microsoft Wireless Adapter, Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

And because this is meant to be a portable screen, it does have its own battery. The SPUD can operate unplugged for up to 10 hours at 350 nits, or 4 hours at 785 nits.

Interested? It seems people are going nuts over the SPUD, as the $33,000 pledge goal was smashed and now the company has funded over $300,000 with 40 days to go. Most early bird specials are gone, but you can still get one for as low as $384. That’s a good deal considering retail price is expected to be $499.

Who is signing up?