Last week, Amazon unveiled their newest product in their Alexa Artificial Intelligence lineup, the Amazon Echo Look. The device has the same brain and features as its big brothers, the Amazon Echo and the Echo Tap, as well as its little brother, the Echo Dot, however, the Echo Look brings a few new features to the plate.
The Echo Look comes with the ability to take a photo or video selfie as you get ready for the day. The device has a built-in camera and LED lights in order to get the best photo of you possible. All you have to do is say "Alexa, Take my photo!". The Echo Look also comes with the ability to judge what you're wearing. You're able to dress in two different outfits, take photos of each, and have the Echo judge what looks best together. According to Amazon's site, the device will base the best outfit on "fit, color, styling, and current trends." The device will also learn over time by taking your feedback into consideration, as well as their "team of experienced fashion specialists" analyzing the outfit choices. Think of the Echo Look as your own personal fashionista who caters to all of your needs. The Echo Look is perfect for anyone who's into fashion, as well as any selfie/social media obsessed person. Even though the device was created for such a niche market, I think sales will still be pretty high.
Now, you may be thinking how the device is so great. But for a second, let's look at the security issues that arise with this. The device has a Microphone/Camera on and off button present on the body of the device. But do we really know it's off? While Amazon has shown in the past that they keep our data private, what about an outside entity spying? For those who don't know, Amazon was in the news before for not disclosing audio to authorities who were dealing with a murder case. Also, as of writing this, there have not been any breaches into an Alexa device for spying purposes that have been reported. As far as the public knows, the device is safe, for now.
So, how can the Echo Look improve? The better question is when will it improve. As we have seen with the past Alexa devices, the devices are always being updated with new features and user created Skills. These skills allow third party devices to use Alexa's voice commands to complete actions on those said devices. For instance, you can ask Alexa to call you an Uber or Lyft, to dim your Phillips Hue lights, and even lock or start your Mercedes Benz. This opens a door for users to send their photos taken with the Look for different social medias outlets, such as Instagram or Facebook. It might even open the door to allow someone to stream video from the Look to an online site, such as YouNow or Facebook Live. With this new device, the opportunities for it to grow are endless!
If you're looking into getting one, check out Amazon's page and request an invitation!
