Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant

#21

Post by criddell » Thu, May 04, 2017, 3:30 AM UTC

coralreef wrote: post #4

Does anyone have insight on how or why this product appeals to its target audience? Seems like a selfie app on the phone could achieve just the same?

I think it's a pretty good idea. I notice how well people dress all the time, yet I'm terrible at dressing myself.

There's a store near where I live (it's a national chain) where you can set up an appointment to go in, be measured, and try a bunch of stuff on. They check each item to see how well it fits then help you pick things that fit well and look good together. They let me know that I've been buying clothes that were way too big for me.

If I could have a device in my home and get that kind of advice on demand, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

If Amazon can pull this off, it's going to be disruptive to say the least. As I understand it, the back end is a mix of machine learning and human experts/trainers. They are going to get thousands of images from similar cameras, at the same resolution, framed in a similar way. That's machine learning gold. Amazon will see what I have and then be able to make suggestions of more clothes that I should buy. If this takes off, it's going to put a lot of clothing retailers out of business. If I were running Gap, I'd be a little scared because there's no way they can compete. The best they can do is hope Amazon will sell their clothes.

I'm not convinced though, that Amazon can pull it off. Not yet, anyway.

Re: Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant

#22

Post by blhack » Thu, May 04, 2017, 4:05 AM UTC

mintplant wrote: post #5

By sitting in the alcove, and keeping well back, Winston was able to remain outside the range of the Amazon® Echo Look™, so far as sight went. He could be heard, of course, but so long as he stayed in his present position he could not be seen.

Isn't there a pretty big difference between something installed by your government, that is illegal to disable or shut off, and something that you willingly install and turn on?

Just where I'm sitting right now, there are at least 3 cameras pointed at me. My laptop, my girlfriend's laptop, and the camera on my phone, but they're all (with reasonable probability) turned off right now.

Implying that this is comparable to the videoscreens talked about in 1984, when it really isn't, means that if there ever is something similar to that, people will be a lot less receptive to criticism of it. Boy who cried wolf an all that.

Re: Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant

#23

Post by jeremyrwelch » Thu, May 04, 2017, 5:52 AM UTC

A dedicated selfie cam that you can also talk to? I anticipate great success. And then massive backlash from the next gen.

Re: Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant

#24

Post by apricot13 » Thu, May 04, 2017, 7:32 AM UTC

I can see what they are trying to do with this but the sort of person who takes outfit photos doesn't just take 1 photo they take 200 (and in different locations) and they certainly wont post it to social media without heavily editing it first.

The only use I can think for it is a convenient way to track which outfits you wear so you can remember what you paired with what but you could just as easily hold your phone in your hand and take a quick photo without the faff of syncing to get the photos on your phone!

Re: Amazon Echo Look – Hands-Free Camera and Style Assistant

#25

Post by mintplant » Thu, May 04, 2017, 7:46 AM UTC

blhack wrote: post #22

mintplant wrote: post #5

By sitting in the alcove, and keeping well back, Winston was able to remain outside the range of the Amazon® Echo Look™, so far as sight went. He could be heard, of course, but so long as he stayed in his present position he could not be seen.

Isn't there a pretty big difference between something installed by your government, that is illegal to disable or shut off, and something that you willingly install and turn on? Just where I'm sitting right now, there are at least 3 cameras pointed at me. My laptop, my girlfriend's laptop, and the camera on my phone, but they're all (with reasonable probability) turned off right now. Implying that this is comparable…

I mean, it's a joke. But to your point, I could imagine a product becoming popular, then ubiquitous, then effectively mandatory and exploited for control. There's Sesame Credit in China which is applying this to social networking (look it up, it's a terrifying idea). State involvement isn't necessary: see Facebook ("Why don't you have a Facebook?" in any social situation, or the reported trend of employers asking to see prospective hires' accounts), or smartphones (loaded with surveillance libraries from adtech companies).

* Also, they weren't "videoscreens" in 1984 but "telescreens", producing audio while recording and transmitting audio and video. That happens to match the Echo Look, form factor excepted.