Coming from the folks at Arovia who designed the SPUD external display in 2016, the Splay is a smaller, brighter, more versatile version of their previous product. Designed to efficiently tick two boxes while being compact and portable, the Splay works both as an ultra-short-throw pico projector with a projection image up to 80-inches, as well as a bright external display, thanks to its foldable projection screen that opens out to give you a large external monitor for your laptop, tablet, or phone. Designers: Mark Kimbrough & John Jaworski ($625 off). Hurry, only 2/105 left! The Splay is a pretty unique device, if you come to think of it. It’s a projector as well as an external display, all packaged into a product that can easily fit into the average backpack. The projector can be used as a standalone device, allowing you to watch 1080p content on a nice 80-inch surface… but things get even more interesting with the Splay’s expandable display that turns your projector into an external monitor using an inverted umbrella-shaped device that lets you project images onto a bright 24-inch screen. In this format, the pico projector transforms into a monitor that you can use alongside your laptop, or with your tablet or phone, for added productivity. Building on the SPUD’s format (Spontaneous Pop-Up Display), the Splay returns as a smaller, stronger, and lighter device. The tiny projector works at a resolution of 1080p with an ultra-short-throw, giving you an 80-inch screen in just 2 ft. of projection distance, along with two powerful built-in speakers. The ultra-short-throw makes it perfect for smaller places, and automatic vertical keystone means always having a straight projection no matter what angle you tilt your projector to. However, things get really interesting when you throw the expandable display into the mix. The display attaches onto the front of the pico-projector, turning it into something that looks about the shape of a lightbox. When assembled, you get a 24-inch external HD screen that has 800 nits of brightness, making the Splay a perfect primary or secondary display for attaching to any of your gadgets. The patented expandable display produces a crease-free, warp-free image that’s comparable to traditional monitors, and the most impressive thing about it is that it folds down right into a flat-packed fabric unit that just wraps around the Splay pico projector, so you can carry your setup anywhere. On the connectivity front, the Splay comes with an HDMI input for plugging in your devices, as well as a USB output for using the Splay as a power bank, or using it to supply power to your Chromecast or Fire Stick. The Splay comes with a USB-C input too, to power its internal battery, which runs for a good 4 hours on a full charge. All in all, the entire contraption is about the size of a smart speaker… and when packed along with the external display, forms a pouch no larger than a bento box (weighing just 2.5 lbs), making the Splay perfect to carry around with you either to an office, a coworking space, on business trips, or even to a friend’s house for a movie or game night. The projector comes with a tripod mount and onboard controls to adjust the brightness, volume, focus, and toggling between projector and display modes (they’re essentially mirror images of each other). The Splay is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, with a pretty modest price tag of $674 (48% off) and delivery next year. Each Splay ships with the projector and expandable display, along with an HDMI cable, a USB-C cable + adapter, and a protective case, so you can carry your projector/external-monitor wherever you want! ($625 off). Hurry, only 2/105 left! Raised over $270,000.