A New Way to Display Photos: Aura's Cordless E-Ink Frame

Aura has launched a new digital photo frame called the Ink frame. It costs $499 and has a 13-inch color e-paper display. This technology is similar to what you find in Kindle e-readers. It uses six colors to create millions of tones. The best part? It's cordless! This makes it perfect for places where a cord would look out of place, like a living room wall or a stairwell. Aura has been wanting to use e-ink technology for a while. But it wasn't good enough to show colorful photos from smartphones. Now, it is. The new frame uses Spectra 6 technology. It has six primary colors: white, black, red, yellow, green, and blue. This makes the colors more vibrant and the contrast better. Aura also added a front light to the frame. This light is subtle and not as bright as an LCD screen. It's only noticeable in a dark room. Aura also built its own dithering algorithm. This algorithm helps blend colors better. The frame still needs to be recharged sometimes. But it can last up to three months on a single charge. It also has sensors to turn off the light when no one is around. You can also set your own on/off schedule in the app. The frame has a nice design. It looks like a traditional photo frame. It's 13. 3 inches with a 1600 x 1200 resolution. The box includes a wall-mounting kit, a stand, and a charging cord. You can use it in portrait or landscape mode. It also has a USB-C port, status light, and button controls. One thing that might be off-putting is the photo-loading experience. The screen flashes repeatedly in a yellow-ish light. But the frame updates photos overnight. So, you don't have to see this transition. The company believes people might be more selective about the photos they add. Maybe they'll only add one photo at a time. Aura has sold double-digit millions of frames. It's profitable and has a billion photos shared on its app. The company is focusing on private social networks. They think this space is underserved and poorly monetized by ads. Aura is still a startup. It's developing new products and updates for the app.