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The internet knows how unattractive I am
Honestly, I'm fine with being unattractive, because owning your flaws is the best way to avoid becoming defined by them. But if the subject comes up in conversation, I'll joke that, on a hypothetical scale, I'm a "four ... in bad light." The internet, however, has enabled me to find out precisely how other people rate my attractiveness. It's been a fun week.
Amazon can judge your daily outfit choices
Amazon has a new perk exclusively for Prime members. The latest version of the e-commerce titan's app comes with a feature called "Outfit Compare" under the "Programs and Features" section, where you'd usually find all its newest offerings. Since its purpose is to compare two different OOTDs, you'd have to upload photos of yourself wearing the outfits. Amazon says it hired real stylists with experience in retail and the fashion industry to judge your clothes based on their fit, how the colors complement you and what's on trend. But as TechCrunch said, some part of the process could be automated, since you can get results in as little as a minute.
The Meitu selfie app unlocks your anime beauty and personal data
There's a price for the beauty that comes from the Chinese selfie app that's been flooding Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with glowing (with a twist of anime) renditions of your friends: It's data.
The first available smart mirror has a narcissistic sequel
Just a few months after hitting the market, there's already a new model of the first smart mirror you can actually buy. The HiMirror Plus boasts incremental upgrades that make it a better companion for selfie and beauty lovers. It costs $259 -- that's $70 more than the original -- and has a new ambient light to simulate different lighting conditions so you can better apply your makeup (and, let's be real, take fantastic selfies). The company also unveiled an accessory called the HiSkin -- a handheld scanner with optical sensors that you can place on your face (or any part of your body, really) to get a better read on your complexion. I used a HiMirror Plus for a few days ahead of CES and then checked out the HiSkin here at the show, and I'm skeptical that they could help improve my skin.
Oh, hey, they have smart hairbrushes now
L'Oreal has been gently getting into the technology game, first by partnering with Dr. John Rogers on a skin-damage-tracking tattoo. Now the cosmetics giant has hooked up with Withings to develop a smart hairbrush that's designed to keep your scalp at its best. The Kérastase Hair Coach, as it's called, was apparently inspired by people's propensity to brush their hair too forcefully, causing long-term damage.
Panasonic's smart mirror finds your flaws, prints makeup to fix them
Panasonic has discovered a profitable new business in the last few years: beauty tech products. Facial moisturizing tech, hair dryers and very relaxing eye masks that I may have tested out (multiple times) at my local Japanese tech store. This time, the tech giant pitched its latest beauty concept as an "interactive mirror." Same old story, right? Not quite. It says it could be a makeup-applying "revolution" that scans your face, decides what needs a little cosmetic help and prints a combination pad of foundation and concealer to fix it up, with little to no makeup wasted. It sounds like a nonsensically vague future concept, but Panasonic thinks otherwise, and has the demo to prove it.
A month without bacon because my genes said so
If you've ever stumbled across the more inspirational corner of Instagram, you'll find plenty of images pertaining to motivation. After all, few of us are physically incapable of at least trying to be athletic, but not everyone will haul enough ass to actually make it happen. I've made a career of using technology to lose weight, although never quite reaching my target. I put that down to a crippling lack of motivation, but for the first time in my adult life, I've spent the past three weeks eating salads as a component of every meal. Why? Because I'd rather not get Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or cancer if I can avoid it.
Necklace helps your diet by listening to your eating
Forget using image recognition or the honor system to count calories -- if University at Buffalo researchers have their way, you'll just need to wear a necklace to watch what you eat. Their recently developed AutoDietary device gauges caloric intake by listening to the chewing and swallowing sounds you make when consuming different foods. It's easy to tell when you're munching on an apple versus a cookie, for example. The current system sends data to a smartphone and recommends improvements, such as cutting back on snacks or slowing down if you tend to rush through dinner.
Panasonic's smart mirror turned me into a 1970s space princess
It was going to be either me or my male colleague. That's a lie: It was absolutely going to be me. It was my last day at IFA, Europe's biggest technology show, and Brad Molen and I were sitting inside a sparsely decorated smart home that Panasonic had built in the middle of the demo area. Panasonic needed a volunteer to sit in front of its prototypical smart mirror, which applies digital "makeup" so you can sample new looks. I exchanged a look with Brad, imagining his bearded cheeks with blush on them. Then I sat down and agreed to let a machine tell me everything that was wrong with my face.
