The Alexa capable camera that I discovered is called the Echo Look and has just been launched. Turns out it’s not a home security camera like I assumed, but rather, an Alexa powered “style assistant” that acts as a smart mirror, of sorts, to rate your outfit. Using your voice, you can use Echo Look to take pictures of your outfit, which can be catalogued in a “lookbook,” shared to friends on social media, or judged for how flattering it looks.
Echo Look can also act as a 360 degree mirror by recording video which can be spun within its app. You can use that same app to submit two different photos to see which is more flattering through what Amazon is calling a “style check. The camera uses depth-sensing and computer vision to blur the background.
The camera itself also has always-listening far-field microphones and has a speaker for full Alexa capabilities, just like the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. The four front facing LEDs that surround the lens are used for lighting and depth-sensing.
The Echo Look is available for $199.99. Currently, it can only be purchased through an invitation, which you can request today through Amazon’s product page.
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AFTVnews
What kind of nonsense is that?
Certainly not a product that will be popular among the tech enthusiast that frequent this site. ;-P
The same kind of “nonsense” that stuck a bunch of microphones on a bluetooth speaker. :)
Read the release again.
Ignore the style assistant talk and focus on *how* the thing works.
Amazon is selling a computer vision front end for consumers. Just as Echo is a computer audio front end.
Think of Microsoft’s kinect and it’s ability to recognize faces and gestures *locally*, just with an XBOX processor. Now translate those capabilities to a cloud-driven system. Audio alone lets Alexa do a zillion things; some useful, some amusing, some trivial. Now give Alexa vision…
Fashion guidance is a trojan.
Wait a while.
Things are going to get interesting…
“Amazon is selling a computer vision front end for consumers. Just as Echo is a computer audio front end.”
Very good point.
Is it April 1st again?
I know it’s not targeted at me, but does anyone really want an internet connected camera where they dress?
Considering Amazon is already one of the larger retailers of clothes there are probably a ton of people who will be interested in getting digital fittings before they order.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_dressing_room
It’s not half as crazy as it sounds.
it would need something like project tango for that
Welcome to Kardashialand!
N.S.A, C.I.A, are loving this.. Keep up the good work Amazon..
Yeah, I’m sure they love the hardware switch on the device that lets you physically disconnect the camera and mic. This is way better for them than simply hacking your phone, which has all these capabilities plus you carry around everywhere at all times…
$199.99? I think I would pay that to NOT have one of these in my house.
Okay, now THAT is funny.
Well done clocks.
Surely @ the $199 level this thing will morph into a security device and not just sit there as a glorified selfie taker
Yeah no. Just to be sure I was not crazy I showed it to my wife who is more style aware than I will ever be and she too thought it was the strangest and or dumbest thing she’d ever seen. I feel better about my initial reaction now!
As a connected security camera I’d have bought one right away. Maybe one is coming still. Imagine this tech in a camera, Alexa knows no one is home because it’s quiet, someone come see in the house and Alexa could look and not recognize them, alert via email or whatever, shoot she should even say hello there, the police have been contacted. Also record all audio on the Echo and Dots And upload it for safekeeping to AWS. Would buy. The possibilities are endless.
As a selfie cam? Never going to happen in my home anyway!
“style check”…pffft…$199…pffffffffffffft
If this thing will help my wife get ready sooner, it may be worth a lot more than $200!
So a perfect opportunity to compete with Nest and out pace Google assistant even further, wasted. Out of all the major software OEM hardware makers Amazon has the best track record, but the Fire Phone and now this will be sore spots.