A quick update on my Aura Edition 2: it seems the infrared touch layer is no longer responsive. I suspect a definitive hardware failure.
I am very reluctant to throw it away, and I am not afraid of heavy modifications. Is there any way to bypass the touch screen? For instance, would it be technically feasible to wire external physical buttons to the motherboard, or is the firmware completely locked to the IR input? Any advice on 'hardware hacking' this device into a non-touch reader would be greatly appreciated.