The Seattle-based e-tailer has added a new member to its line of smart assistants. Echo Look, as the new product is called, combines information delivered by Alexa with custom recommendations on what to wear.
Before going out, you might want to ask Alexa about what the weather will be like. You might even tell her to turn the light on, to see yourself better in the mirror as you try out various outfits. But what if Alexa would be able to “see” what you’re wearing and suggest changes for a more fashionable outcome? Echo Look’s hands-free camera can help you do just that!
The gadget is advertised as a hands-free camera and style assistant, but it packs so much more.
Presentation
Echo Look is quite different from its other family members, sporting a mostly white body and a black interface. Besides the speaker and microphone array that are also seen in the traditional Echo, the Look also includes a button that switches off the camera and the microphone, a hands-free camera that can take 5 MP head-to-toe photos of you, as well as a standard tripod socket.
There’s a wall mount included in the kit, and that’s where the tripod socket might come in handy. As for the resolution, Echo Look is a bit ahead of the Nest Cam, which only sports a 3-megapixel sensor. Being a security camera, the Nest Cam is also capable of recording footage in the dark. Echo Look serves somewhat of a different purpose, and as such, doesn’t need night-vision.
The hardware is by no means extraordinary, so the main difference in price is determined by Echo Look’s software.
Functionality
Since the main player here is the hands-free camera, it’s rather intuitive that it can work using voice commands addressed to Alexa. The companion app that Amazon developed for the Echo Look is able to analyze your style
Whether the Echo Look will be as popular as the original Echo or will go the way of Amazon’s Fire phone remains to be seen. So far, people’s reactions are mixed, as some look at the device as something that will become indispensable, while others point out ironically that a camera and a mic that are always on are exactly what they wanted in their homes. A verdict can only be given after Amazon releases the device to the masses, which is something nobody knows when and if it’s going to happen.
Will Echo Look blow everyone’s minds with its accurate recommendations, or will it refuse to open the pod bay doors? It remains to be seen.
See What Matters with Echo Look’s Computer Vision-Based Background Blur
Is your room a bit of a mess, but could still use some advice from Alexa? Echo Look employs computer vision-based background blur so that only you are clearly visible, front and center.
To shoot photos or record videos of your outfit, you only need to say “Alexa, take a picture” or “Alexa, take a video.”
Compare Different Outfits with Style Check
Echo Look doesn’t only assist you with recommendations and recordings of your various outfits. It can also help you compare them.
Style Check, as this feature is called, relies on advanced machine learning algorithms and advice from fashion specialists to determine which outfit suits you best. The parameters taken into account include fit, color, styling, and current trends. In other words, a comparison can be made even if you only change your shoes. Your feedback, along with continuous input from fashion experts will help Style Check to become better and better over time.
Price and Purchasing Options
At the moment, Amazon’s Echo Look is available exclusively by invitation and costs $199. The product page features a “Request Invitation” button. Upon pressing it, you’re told that confirmation will arrive via email if selected.
This model was also used on the full-fledged Amazon Echo, the mini Echo Dot, and the battery-powered Amazon Tap. However, only for the first two, there was an overwhelming demand. If Echo Look is received positively by the first lucky buyers, there’s no doubt that the e-tailer will make purchasing possible for the public.
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