Xconomy: E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference
Summary
Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week.The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate with Alexa and display information in the wearer’s field of view.Starting at $999, the mirror will be connected to Alexa to control lights with your voice or update you on the latest news as you get dressed in the morning, according to media reports.Given the trend of bringing back pop culture of the 1990s—remakes of TV series “Will & Grace” and “Rosanne,” fashion replays like high-waisted jeans and choker necklaces—the tech world seems to want to get in on the nostalgia.TechCrunch reports that Indiegogo crowdfunders have already committed $1.2 million—nearly 300 percent of its initial goal—to support a QWERTY-keyboard PDA called the Gemini, similar to the ones some of us used to carry around before Y2K.