Aura’s digital frames are kind of like living photo albums that get better with time, which is why we often recommend them for Mother’s Day. They’re gifts that keep on giving, in a way, and right now, a number of Aura’s connected frames are on sale ahead of the holiday. One of the best deals is on the Aura Aspen, which is available for $199 ($30 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Aura, matching its all-time low.

Aura Aspen

Where to Buy:

• $229 $199 at Amazon
• $229 $199 at Aura
• $229.99 $199.99 at Best Buy

Although you can preload Aura’s 12-inch LCD frame with photos before it arrives, what really makes the Aspen special is that loved ones around the world can add new images to the frame using the Aura app (or by text message). It also supports Live Photos and can play 30-second video clips — providing a personal touch that traditional frames and albums can’t offer — and allows you to add captions to each photo.

The digital frame is designed to make it easy to display and manage those memories, too. It features adjustable slideshow speeds, automatic brightness that adapts to the room, and an in-app scanner that lets you digitize older printed photos. There are no subscription fees either, meaning you can upload unlimited photos via the Aura app or sync albums from iCloud, Google Photos, and other cloud-based services.

Despite its connected functionality, the Aspen still looks and feels like a traditional picture frame, complete with an adjustable metal stand. The antiglare, paper-like display gives photos a more lifelike quality, and you can display images in either landscape or portrait mode. It’s 1600 x 1200 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio match most smartphone photos, too, so images fill the screen naturally without awkward cropping.

Read our Aura Aspen hands-on impressions.

Other Aura deals to consider

Aura Carver Mat (10-inch)

The Aura Carver Mat features a 10.1-inch HD (1280 x 800) landscape display with a paper-like matted border. It displays photos, Live Photos, and 30-second video clips, all of which you can upload for free. It also includes portrait pairing, so you can showcase two vertical photos side by side.

Where to Buy:

• $179 $159 at Amazon
• $179 $159 at Aura
• $179.99 $159.99 at Best Buy

Aura Walden (15-inch)

The Walden is Aura’s largest digital photo frame, with a 15-inch HD (1600 x 1200) display. It uses a 4:3 aspect ratio and works in both portrait and landscape orientation. It also includes wall mounting and unlimited uploads via the Aura app and other services.

Where to Buy:

• $299 $269 at Amazon
• $299 $269 at Aura
• $299 $269.99 at Best Buy

From crafting machines to smart calendars, a number of unique gifts are already on sale in the run-up to Mother’s Day, May 10th. Birdfy smart feeders are another discounted option to consider, particularly the new Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 (4K), which is on sale for $259.99 ($50 off). If you’re looking to spend less, you can also grab the basic Birdfy Feeder for just $99.99 ($100 off) from Amazon or Birdfy, with the latter retailer throwing in a free botanical gift bag and greeting card.

Birdfy Feeder

Where to Buy:

• $229.99 $99.99 at Amazon
• $229.99 $99.99 at Birdfy (with free gift bag and card)

Birdfy’s standard bird feeder uses a 1080p camera with a 155-degree field of view and color night vision to capture birds in clear detail as they stop by. It then sends real-time alerts to the Birdfy mobile app for Android and iOS, where you can watch live feeds or browse recorded clips, whether you’re at home or away. Birdfy saves 20-second clips in the cloud for free for up to 30 days, too, so you can revisit old footage or share your newfound observations with friends later.

The app also includes a handful of AI-powered features, which are free for a week, after which they require a premium Birdfy subscription ($4.99 a month or $69.99 for lifetime access). The tools allow you to identify more than 6,000 bird species, share fun facts, and receive daily highlights and monthly summaries. You can also set alerts for specific bird species, just in case you’re trying to capture that elusive summer tanager or the occasional gray flycatcher that happens to pass by.

What’s more, the Feeder is relatively easy to set up and maintain, given that it comes with a flip-up roof and all the mounting attachments you need for affixing it to a pole, wall, or tree. It offers an IP65 weather-resistant rating and features a large 50-ounce seed container, so you don’t need to refill it as often as some other models. It also runs on a 5,200mAh rechargeable battery that can last up to three months, or indefinitely with the optional solar panel, which starts at $29.99.

Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 (4K)

Where to Buy:

• $259.99 $309.99 at Birdfy
• $259.99 $309.99 at Walmart

If you’re willing to spend more, the higher-end Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 (4K) takes things a step further with a sharper 4K camera and a more durable metal design. It also comes with a built-in solar cell and AI bird recognition, so you don’t need to pay extra for a subscription. It’s one of the first models to support Birdfy’s forthcoming advanced OrniSense AI system, too, which will provide additional information about visiting birds, including health insights and details such as gender.

Other Birdfy Mother’s Day deals

Birdfy Bath Pro with Stand

The Birdfy Bath Pro is a solar-powered smart birdbath with a built-in fountain and dual-lens camera system. It features a 1080p wide-angle lens, a 2K portrait lens, and AI-powered recognition software that can identify more than 6,000 species. Additional features include color night vision, two-way audio, and an IP66 waterproof rating.

Where to Buy:

• $349.99 $259.99 at Amazon
• $349.99 $259.99 at Birdfy

Birdfy Feeder Rookie

The Birdfy Feeder Rookie is an entry-level feeder with a built-in 1080p camera that sends real-time alerts to your phone and displays live feeds. It can capture HD video in slow motion with color night vision, while a paid subscription lets you identify visiting bird species via AI. The feeder also holds up to 1.3 liters of seed and offers an IP66 rating.

Where to Buy:

• $119.99 $49.99 at Amazon (without solar)
• $159.99 $79.99 at Birdfy (with solar)
• $159.99 $69.99 at Amazon (with solar)

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K is a great gadget to buy if you want to put your Hue lights to good use while watching a movie or playing video games. It syncs with your lights to mirror the colors on your TV, and it’s steeply discounted right now to a slightly more accessible price. You can currently get the box for $269.49 via the Philips Hue store, which is $115 off the going price at most other retailers (including Best Buy). This is part of the company’s ongoing “Bright Days” sale, which includes deals on a host of other lighting products.

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K

Where to Buy:

• $384.99 $269.49 at Philips Hue

The sync box is an HDMI hub that can accept up to four devices (gaming consoles, a PC, streaming devices, etc.), and it supports up to 8K passthrough at 60Hz to your TV, or 4K with a higher 120Hz refresh rate. It also offers passthrough support for HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision HDR, as well as immersive Dolby Atmos audio.

One important note is that the Sync Box needs a Philips Hue Bridge to communicate with other Hue lights (including the gradient light strips that stick behind your TV). If you don’t have a Bridge, the standalone entry-level model typically costs about $65. However, I actually recommend opting for the discounted bundle on Philips Hue’s site, which nets you both products for $301.93, effectively halving the cost of the Bridge.

Read more about the Philips Hue 8K sync box.

Other deals to know about

• GameStop is running a sale on pre-owned games that stacks savings depending on how many you buy. You’ll save 10 percent on the total cost when buying two or three games, 20 percent with four or five games, and 30 percent off with six or more games. Whether you have the budget for some pricey games or just want to flesh out your collection of older, cheaper titles, you can save quite a bit by buying discs in bulk.
• The Logitech G435 is a good, affordable headset for people who aren’t too picky about features or high-end build materials. The black model with minimal neon green details and a beamforming mic is down to $37.49 (about $43 off) on Amazon, which is the lowest price so far this year. The gaming headset was a favorite of mine when it came out in ’21, and it’s solid for use with a PC or PS5 via its 2.4GHz USB-A dongle. It also supports Bluetooth and includes a button to easily toggle between wireless modes. Read my hands-on impressions.
• Baseus’s AM52 is a slim, 10,000mAh MagSafe battery that claims to support 25W wireless charging speeds for the iPhone 16 and newer phones. It’s listed at $59.99 (down from $79.99) at Amazon for Prime members, but Slickdeals users have shared a promo code (BASEUSAM52) that knocks the price down to $39.29. The power bank lacks a built-in USB-C cable, but when paired with one, it can supply devices with up to 45W. Its small capacity isn’t a great fit with charging gaming handhelds or a laptop, but it can give you a little juice if that’s all you need.

The smart lighting company is having a busy month. After releasing its first solar-powered lights, a cordless table lamp, and an updated LED light wall over the past few weeks, Govee has announced a new multicolor ceiling light. Available starting today through the company's online store and Amazon for $249.99, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra is larger than previous versions and for the first time uses its array of color-changing LEDs to display images.

At 21-inches in diameter, the new Ultra version of Govee's ceiling lights will potentially be better at illuminating larger rooms up to 30 square meters. While the cheaper 12- and 15-inch vers …

Read the full story at The Verge.

When you’re juggling more than just your own calendar, staying organized can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the Skylight Calendar 2 can help simplify things by syncing multiple calendars in a single spot, and now through May 7th, it’s available directly from Skylight for $259.99 ($40 off), its best price to date.

Skylight Calendar 2

Where to Buy:

• $299.99 $259.99 at Skylight

Skylight’s 15-inch smart calendar improves upon the original with a brighter screen, faster performance, and a slimmer design with swappable magnetic frames. Otherwise, though, it offers the same core experience, making it easy for the whole family to see events at a glance, whether you mount it on a wall or place it on a kitchen counter using the included adjustable stand. It automatically syncs with Google, Apple, Yahoo, Outlook, and Cozi calendars, pulling them into a single shared space that updates automatically. Each household member gets their own color, too, so it’s easy to keep track of who’s doing what.

In addition to event planning, the Calendar 2 makes it easier to arrange and assign other day-to-day tasks. You can create and manage shared chore charts, grocery lists, and to-do lists directly on the touchscreen device or through the mobile app for Android and iOS, which makes it easy for everyone in your household to stay on track and contribute. Skylight also provides detailed weather forecasts for your events, so you know what to expect before heading out.

If you subscribe to Skylight’s Calendar Plus plan, the Calendar 2 takes even more of the work off your plate. You can forward emails, upload PDFs, or snap photos of flyers and automatically turn them into calendar events. You also get meal planning tools that let you plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the week, as well as the ability to assign chores and reward kids for completing them. Plus, just for fun, there’s a screensaver mode that turns the display into an ad hoc digital photo frame when it’s not actively being used as a calendar.

Ikea shared a sneak preview of three pieces from a new experimental collection, set to be fully revealed at an annual company event on May 13th. One of the pieces is an inflatable chair that looks like a far cry from the cheap and lumpy inflatable furniture popularized in the '90s.

This isn't the first time Ikea's designers have experimented with inflatable furniture. The Ikea Museum website has an entire page dedicated to what it calls an "idea that fell flat." In 2000 the furniture maker introduced its inflatable Rolig easy chair and Innerlig sofa but they were expensive and suffered from leaky valves, resulting in both pieces slowly defl …

Read the full story at The Verge.