With Amazon Echo devices which have a camera, such as the Echo Look or
the Echo Show, there's a capability which I think needs to be pursued
which I've not heard anybody else mention. I'm talking about OCR. In
plain English, this is the capability where you place a printed page on
a scanner or in front of a camera and run a piece of software which is
able to convert that picture of text into actual text which anybody can
read or edit, including users who rely on screen readers. In Windows, we
use programs such as OpenBook, Kurzweil 1000 or FineReader to perform
these tasks for us. We've had these capabilities for decades. Recent
advances with smartphones and tablets have given us the same capability
with a more portable package, using apps such as KNFB Reader or the free
Seeing AI app. Amazon is promoting their new Echo Look product as a sort
of electronic fashion adviser. If this is all you'll be able to do with
the Echo Look's camera then I feel we've missed a great opportunity to
turn the Echo devices into the next print reading machine. Imagine if we
had skills for the Echo devices, such as KNFB Reader, Seeing AI and
other OCR apps. You could hold out a sheet of paper in front of your
Echo's camera and issue a command, such as "Alexa, ask KNFB Reader to
read this for me." The camera would take a picture and, within less than
a minute, Alexa would read the page for you. Specially made stands, like
the Fopito, could be manufactured and sold to allow a blind person to
conveniently read one page after another of a book or magazine. True,
you wouldn't be able to edit the document on your Echo device but it
would give blind people a quick and convenient way to at least hear the
information on the page. If you had an Echo Show, Alexa could then allow
that particular device to display that document on its screen, allowing
you to review it using the built-in VoiceView screen reader.
Additionally, you could issue commands to export that document to
another location, such as being able to say "Alexa, send this to my
OneDrive" or "Send this to my Dropbox", allowing you to use your PC,
phone or tablet to open and/or edit that file.
There are other scenarios which should also be possible, such as
currency identification. Imagine how cool it would be to take a bill out
of your wallet and say, "Alexa, identify this currency" or "Alexa, ask
Seeing AI to identify my money." The camera would snap a picture and
Alexa would respond, "This is a five-dollar bill."
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against having an Alexa device being
used to take pictures of the various outfits which might be hanging up
in your closet. However, it strikes me that a voice assistant with a
camera could be used for so much more than that, which would
tremendously benefit both blind and sighted users alike.
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist WWW.David-Goldfield.Com
On 6/7/2018 6:03 PM, David Goldfield wrote:
Amazon.com <http://Amazon.com> News Release - Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 9:06 AM
Amazon Echo Look—a First-of-its-Kind Echo Focused on Style—Now
Available to All U.S. Customers
/Alexa helps you look your best—with Echo Look simply say, “Alexa, take a photo” or “Alexa, take a video” to build your own personal lookbook, no smartphone camera or mirror required/
/Use the Style Check feature to get a second opinion about which outfit looks best on you/
/Keep track of what you’ve worn in the Echo Look app; edit and share photos; get suggestions of new pieces to pair with what you already own; sort looks by color or into custom Collections; and get inspired by fashion content from Amazon, Vogue, and GQ/
/Echo Look includes everything you love about Alexa—just ask to set alarms, timers and reminders; get the weather forecast, your morning news, your schedule for the day, and much more/
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 6, 2018-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Alexa helps you look your best with Echo Look, a first-of-its-kind Echo device with a hands-free depth-sensing camera, built-in LED lighting, and computer vision-based background blur to make your outfits pop. Simply say, “Alexa, take a photo” or “Alexa, take a video” to get a share-worthy shot of your look, no smartphone camera or mirror required. Alexa on Echo Look is the style assistant that gives you personalized recommendations, helps keep your closet organized, and provides fashion inspiration. Features like Style Check, Collections, and suggestions of new pieces to complement your existing wardrobe all come with Echo Look (#echolook), which is now available to all customers for $199.99 at www.amazon.com/echolook <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fecholook&esheet=51818128&newsitemid=20180606005744&lan=en-US&anchor=www.amazon.com%2Fecholook&index=1&md5=d1760d5c93ca9767290c037bed8fe55f>.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: <https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180606005744/en/>https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180606005744/en/
Amazon Echo Look, now available to all U.S. customers at www.amazon.com/echolook <http://www.amazon.com/echolook>. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Like a trustworthy best friend, Alexa helps you nail your look every time—with Echo Look, she can give advice on which of two outfits looks best, offer personalized recommendations on items that pair well with clothes you already own, create your personal lookbook, keep your closet organized, and much more,” said Linda Ranz, Director of Echo Product Management at Amazon. “Over the last year we invited customers to use Echo Look and give us feedback, which led to the launch of many new features—we’re now excited to make the device available to all customers, with even more fashionable features and functionality to come that will help customers look their best every day.”
Alexa as your style assistant on Echo Look uses a combination of machine learning algorithms and advice from fashion specialists to provide personalized recommendations. *Style Check*, one of the most popular features on Echo Look, gives you a second opinion on which of two outfits looks best on you—simply submit two photos and, in about a minute, Style Check will return a recommendation based on fit, color, styling, and current trends, plus an explanation of why one is better. One of the newest features on Echo Look will *suggest items that pair well with clothes you already own* to help you get more out of your closet. Recommended items are all shoppable on Amazon.com <http://Amazon.com>.
Echo Look also makes it easier to keep your closet organized. To keep track of your styles, use *Daily Look*—each photo or short video you take of an outfit is automatically added to a lookbook that you can browse for inspiration and tag with descriptions. You can also filter looks by color to easily find a specific piece or decide whether you need yet another black top. The *Collections* feature helps organize your closet by category for easy searching. The Echo Look app will automatically organize Daily Looks into groups including Favorites, Seasons, and Weather. You can then create your own personalized collections like outfits for your vacation, business trip, items to donate, and more. When you’re *away from home*, you can use the Echo Look app to keep capturing outfit photos so you’ll never forget what you wore, or where you wore it. The photos will appear in the Looks tab in your app, where they’ll be available to browse, edit, share, and submit to Style Check.
And since fashion is all about getting inspired by the next trend, customers can *get tips from Amazon, Vogue, and GQ* right in the Echo Look app. Or you can tap into *Community Voting* to submit outfit polls to the Amazon Spark community for additional input and feedback from other customers who love fashion. Ask specific questions like, “Which is better for a summer wedding?” or “Is this appropriate for a job interview?” and see the votes in real time.
Plus, Echo Look includes everything you love about Alexa. Simply ask for timers and alerts, the weather and news, and much more. You can also “share” Echo Look with one other person while keeping your lookbooks separate. *Household Profiles* allows you to register up to two accounts to your Echo Look and switch just by asking or, using *Your Voice*, Alexa can recognize your voice and switch accounts automatically when enabled—you don’t even need to ask.
/Lights, Camera, Fashion/
Echo Look made its debut at New York Fashion Week: The Shows in February, where Amazon partnered with Prabal Gurung. Amazon used the device to photograph the backstage action to design a digital lookbook inspired by the designer's Fall 2018 collection. In another collaboration, customers have also seen content from Vogue and GQ appear in the home screen of their apps offering links to fashion tips and trends on Vogue.com <http://Vogue.com> and GQ.com <http://GQ.com>. Additionally, designer and stylist Rachel Zoe collaborated with Amazon to promote Echo Look in a recent episode of /Real Life with Rachel Zoe/, using Alexa as her style assistant in sessions with influencers Sheryl Luke, Natalie Lim Suarez, and Brittany Xavier.
“Alexa is my new styling assistant. I wish I had Echo Look early on in my career as a stylist,” said Rachel Zoe, CEO of Rachel Zoe, Inc. "For anyone who needs a little help deciding what to wear, Style Check is a total game changer.”
Here’s what reviewers have been saying about Echo Look:
* “If you've ever spent too much time in the mirror agonizing over
what to wear, this product is for you.”—TODAY Show
* “I fell in love with the tiny piece of tech.”—USA Today
* “As a person who won’t generally listen to style tips—not even
from my mom or my husband—I’m surprised by how easily I’ve taken
to my very own tabletop Tim Gunn.”—New York Post
* “I'll admit to being generally quite impressed by Echo Look, as
I'm confident that it's the most sophisticated, accurate,
easy-to-use device of its kind on the market. In other news, I may
never have to ask my husband how my outfit looks again (which
he'll probably be okay with).”—WhoWhatWear
* “The photos and video that the Echo Look captures provide a good
view of what you're wearing that indeed trumps what you get from a
mirror. They're well lit thanks to the LED lights on the body of
the Echo Look, and the voice activation eliminates the need for
selfie sticks, self-timers or a patient partner who doesn't mind
taking your picture.”—CNET
* “Perfect selfies and an intelligent fashion guide.”—Gadget Flow
/Pricing and Availability/
Echo Look (#echolook) is available now for U.S. customers for $199.99. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/echolook <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0186JAEWK%3FenableAutoPlay%3D1%26ref%3Dpr_shrturl_1_ods_aucc_hxwww.amazon.com%2Fecholook&esheet=51818128&newsitemid=20180606005744&lan=en-US&anchor=www.amazon.com%2Fecholook&index=2&md5=1e769edba13fbeb3aaea87427f57ac58>.
*About Amazon*
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fabout&esheet=51818128&newsitemid=20180606005744&lan=en-US&anchor=www.amazon.com%2Fabout&index=3&md5=6b5a81b89900d8663b5cc97484a776b5> and follow @AmazonNews <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FAmazonNews&esheet=51818128&newsitemid=20180606005744&lan=en-US&anchor=%40AmazonNews&index=4&md5=eaf43eddcc73b09776d036b0728c109e>.
View source version on businesswire.com <http://businesswire.com>: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180606005744/en/
Source: Amazon.com <http://Amazon.com>, Inc.
Amazon.com <http://Amazon.com>, Inc.
Media Hotline
Amazon-pr@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Amazon-pr@xxxxxxxxxx>
www.amazon.com/pr <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fpr&esheet=51818128&lan=en-US&anchor=www.amazon.com%2Fpr&index=5&md5=a232d517dbb87eb07614141b8b05080e>
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2353528
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info <http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
