You Amazon Echo Can Now See You
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A little over two years ago, Amazon quietly introduced what would soon become a game-changing product and service — the Echo device with Alexa Voice. The Echo is a speaker with built-in intelligence that you can control just by talking to it. Now, Amazon has unveiled the next product in the Echo and Alexa family — a video camera dubbed the Echo Look. All you have to do is snap a photo and the device helps you pick out the perfect outfit from your wardrobe, Clueless-style.
The device still packs all of Alexa's famous features, including providing the news, playing music, controlling home appliances and more through tens of thousands of "skills" available. (Have a stain that you can't get rid of? Check out GH's own skill!) But now, along with listening, the new product will be able to take full-length photos and short videos, too, hands-free. You can then ask friends to assess the photos you've taken, or use the Style Check service in the Echo Look app to have professionals weigh in on your outfit. Amazon claims Style Check leverages machine learning with fashion specialists' insights to provide a recommendation between two photos that factor in what's trending and what's more flattering.
The Echo Look's camera has built-in lighting and depth-sensing capabilities that supposedly help to take photos and videos that are better optimized to see your clothes. The Good Housekeeping Institute has yet to get our hands on a unit, so we will reserve judgment until we do.
As someone always looking to my sister for style advice, I get it. Whenever I'm planning an outfit for a big event, my sister demands I take videos or photos showing a full 360-degree view, which has resulted in some haphazard photos and awkward videos. Now, it's as simple as saying,"Alexa, take a video." You will also be able to use the Echo Look app to create a look book of outfits – like we said, it's Cher's Clueless closet in real life.
The new device brings the Echo family to three members, including the Echo and the Echo Dot, but there are a slew of other Amazon devices and third party products that work with Alexa, including the Amazon Tap, Fire TV, smart lights, switches, thermostats and video cameras.
While you may not care for the fashion advice, the camera-equipped Echo Look only costs $20 more than the original Echo. So even if you are not interested in styling help, the camera may make it worth it. Personally, I wouldn't mind being able to take hands-free photos of my daughter.
Having a voice-listening and photo-recording product in your home raises obvious concerns about privacy, but similar to the Echo, there is a physical button for turning off watching and listening. The device will have the blue light illuminate when you use the wake word to let you know she is on and listening. My advice if you are nervous, cover the camera like many do on their laptop's cameras to ensure nothing can be seen when you don't want it to.
The Echo Look ($200) is not yet available, but you can request an invitation to be one of the first to get a unit at amazon.com.
Reviewed: April 2017
Price When Reviewed: $200.00
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