Aura’s Aspen impressive digital frame is the most affordable it’s been

Returning to work or school from summer vacation is never easy, but the Aura Aspen could help you hold onto your favorite memories by putting them front and center. And right now, you can pick up the digital photo frame for around $199 ($30 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Aura, which is a new low price. 

For a digital photo frame, the slim, 12-inch Aura Aspen looks remarkably traditional. My colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy found its paper-textured, anti-glare matte display and 1600 x 1200 resolution makes pictures appear sharp and lifelike, while the 4:3 aspect ratio means most smartphone shots should fit perfectly. It even comes with its own adjustable metal stand that looks like one you’d find on a regular photo frame.

But unlike a normal photo frame, this one could be a gift that lets you keep on giving. Like other Aura digital photo frames, you can update it anytime with new photos, whether you’re sending pics of the grandkids to mom’s frame or beaming a college student the latest pictures of the family pet. Just upload pictures via the companion app available on iOS and Android, sync them automatically via iCloud Photos or Google Photos, or email them and they’ll appear. What’s more, you can also add text captions, display Live Photos from your iPhone, and even showcase 30-second videos that play sound.

Read our hands-on impressions of the Aura Aspen.

Three more deals to kick off your weekend

• Now through August 13th, Woot is discounting a number of refurbished Kindles and Amazon Fire HD tablets. You can, for example, buy the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite with a 90-day warranty starting at just $89.99. Woot is also taking an additional $5 off when you apply the promo code FIREFIVE, saving you $65 over buying the latest model. At 6.8-inches, the last-gen e-reader is slightly smaller than its 7-inch successor, but otherwise is very similar with IPX8 water resistance, a crisp 300ppi display, and an adjustable warm white frontlight that makes it easy to read at night. Read our 2021 Kindle Paperwhite review.
• Garmin’s inReach Mini 2 is on sale for $332.50 ($67 off) while the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus is $427.50 ($72 off) from Wellbots exclusively for our readers when you apply the code VERGEGARMIN5. Those are some of the best prices to date on the small satellite communicators, which lets you text, share your location, receive weather updates, and send SOS alerts to Garmin’s emergency dispatch center when you don’t have cell service. The Plus offers the same functionality, but also lets you share photos and voice messages. Just be aware you’ll have to pay a $7.99 monthly subscription fee to use any of these features, though.
• The Satechi Magnetic MagSafe Wallet starts at $27.99 ($12 off) at Amazon, which matches its best price to date. The vegan leather wallet can hold up to four cards and folds out into an adjustable kickstand, allowing you to take video calls or stream in landscape or portrait mode. It also includes NFC passthrough, so you can tap-to-pay without pulling out your credit card.