If you're a gamer, streamer, or power user, you know the struggle. Your primary monitor is a sacred space for your game, your code, or your creative canvas. Yet, it's constantly being invaded by a flood of notifications: a new Slack message, a Discord ping, a system alert, or a critical reminder. Looking away for even a second can break your flow state.
What if you could offload all that digital noise to a dedicated, always-on screen that sits right on top of your monitor? That’s the exact problem a new device called WebScreen is designed to solve. Launching now on Crowd Supply, this compact, open-source gadget is an AMOLED display for your desk, and it’s poised to become an essential tool for the digitally savvy.
More Than a Second Screen: A Glanceable Information Hub
At its core, WebScreen is a sleek, monitor-top device that looks a bit like a modern webcam. But instead of a camera lens, it houses a vibrant 1.9 to 2.1-inch AMOLED display, powered by a capable ESP32-S3 microcontroller. The goal is simple: to provide a dedicated spot for all the information you need at a glance.
The device is launching at an accessible $99 price point, making it an enticing gadget for tech enthusiasts. But its real power lies in its flexibility. WebScreen runs tiny apps written in JavaScript, which are loaded directly from a microSD card. With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, these apps can pull in real-time data, transforming the little screen into a dynamic dashboard for your digital life.
Built by the Community, for the Community
WebScreen wasn't developed in a secret lab. Its creators at HW Media Lab have been working closely with early supporters to shape its features. A primary focus has been on delivering robust, cross-platform notifications, especially for Linux users who are often left out by proprietary ecosystems. It seamlessly pulls alerts from desktop applications like Slack and Discord, ensuring you never miss an important message while in full-screen mode.
Furthermore, WebScreen is fully open-source. Both its hardware designs and software are released under permissive licenses. This opens up a world of possibilities for developers and tinkerers. Want to connect it to your Home Assistant smart home system to show when the garage door is open? Or maybe create a custom app to display live metrics from your server? With WebScreen, you can.
According to its campaign page, popular use cases already emerging from the community include:
- Productivity Timers: A physical, always-visible Pomodoro timer.
- System Dashboards: Live stats on CPU, GPU, and network usage.
- Streaming Companions: Showing recent followers or chat messages.
- Webcam Lighting: A visual indicator for when your webcam is active.
Ready to bring order to your digital workspace? The official WebScreen campaign is now live, offering full technical specifications and early bird pricing.
Check out the Crowd Supply campaign page here.
Desk-Friendly Design and a Developer’s Playground
The device is designed to be unobtrusive. Measuring 68 x 60 x 54 mm and weighing around 100 grams, it’s powered by a single USB-C cable. Its monitor-top clip is cleverly designed to allow you to stack your webcam on top of it, saving precious desk real estate.
For those who love to code, the experience is streamlined. A dedicated Serial IDE allows for live JavaScript coding and debugging directly on the device, meaning you can tweak and perfect your apps without ever pulling out the microSD card. It’s a tinkerer’s dream, lowering the barrier to entry for creating custom functionalities.
A Growing Ecosystem and What’s Next
The vision for WebScreen extends far beyond the device itself. The team plans to launch a dedicated marketplace where users can share and download JavaScript apps, 3D-printed enclosure designs, and even hardware modifications. The community is already showcasing its creativity with app examples ranging from simple reminders and a Pomodoro timer to a playable Doom minigame and smart home monitoring dashboards.
To suit any setup, the 3D-printed enclosures will be available in a variety of colors including black, blue, green, pink, red, and orange. Manufacturing will be handled in-house in Japan, with global fulfillment managed by Mouser Electronics via Crowd Supply.
As with any crowdfunded hardware project, the creators are transparent about potential risks, including global tariff changes, electronic component shortages, firmware bug fixes, and certification delays.
For those eager to get their hands on one without waiting for the crowdfunding cycle to complete, keep an eye on major retailers. You can find the latest availability and pricing for tech gadgets like this on Amazon.
In a world of digital overload, WebScreen offers a focused, customizable, and aesthetically pleasing solution. It’s more than just a gadget; it’s a glimpse into a more organized and efficient way of interacting with our digital worlds.
