And even: Your tone of voice is “overbearing” or “irritated,” the Halo determines, after listening through its tiny microphone on your wrist. Hope our tone is clear here: We don’t need this kind of criticism from a computer. The Halo collects the most intimate information we’ve seen from a consumer health gadget – and makes the absolute least use of it.
This wearable is much better at helping Amazon gather data than at helping you get healthy and happy. Since August, the Halo has been listed by Amazon as an “early access” product that requires an “invitation” to buy. (It will cost $100 plus a $4 monthly fee once it’s sold widely.)
We’re reviewing the Halo now because Amazon’s first digital wellness product offers a glimpse of how one of tech’s most influential companies thinks about the future of health. And what better to do when we’re lonely during a pandemic than have an always-listening device point out our flaws? Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, but we review all technology with the same critical eye. Late to the fitness tracker market dominated by the Apple Watch and Fitbit, the fabric-covered Halo has no screen, no sounds or vibrations and no design innovation. -Full Report
