When the Amazon Echo had its first big debut in 2015, it was introduced as a speaker with a voice assistant inside. Now, the newest device in the Echo family is focused on making sure you leave the house looking your absolute best.
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On Wednesday, Amazon revealed the Echo Look — priced at $200 — as a "hands-free camera and style assistant" featuring everything Amazon Alexa offers plus a selfie camera to take full-length photos and 360-degree videos, which Alexa uses to give you a major style check.
The camera has built-in LED lighting and depth sensors, which blurs the background.
Here’s how the Echo Look camera works:
1. Simply ask Alexa to take a picture or video OR use the Echo Look app to get a live view of your outfits, which will be stored as a lookbook on the app.
2. Use the app to get recommendations based on your daily style.
3. Get a second opinion in the app’s Style Check feature based on outfit, color and current trends, all part of Amazon-curated advice from fashion specialists using advanced machine learning algorithms.
With Alexa built in, you can use the Echo Look to ask Alexa to read you the news, set your alarms, play music and everything else she’s beloved for.
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According to The Verge, if the Style Check feature is particularly appealing, the Amazon iOS app offers a similar feature called Outfit Compare under its programs and features menu.
While the Echo Look version gives you a percentage rating of your outfits based on the aforementioned expert opinions, Outfit Compare picks which outfit of two it prefers.
The device, which has a large microphone and camera off button on its side, has a similar design to many home security cameras.
The camera off button, and the fact that the Echo Look is only activated by voice, makes it different from “always-on” devices, which have been surrounded by privacy implications for decades.
As of Wednesday evening, Amazon's Echo Look ($200) is available exclusively by invitation and customers can request an invite on the website.
This story has been updated to note the Echo Look is not in the category of “always-on” devices.
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