--- title: "Amazon’s Judgy Wearable Tells You If You Sound “Condescending”" description: "It’s perhaps the most invasive and judgemental piece of technology we’ve ever seen being put on sale. Amazon’s new wearable called Halo Band is literally designed from the ground up to listen to your every word and tell you if your voice is too “overbearing” or “irritated,” as The Washington Post reports. The Post‘s reviewers […]" date: "2020-12-11" modified: "2020-12-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/amazon-halo-wearable-condescending" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "Amazon" - "smartphone app" - "the digest" - "wearables" --- # Amazon’s Judgy Wearable Tells You If You Sound “Condescending” ![The tech giant's new wearable called Halo Band is designed to listen to your every word and tell you if your voice is too "overbearing" or "irritated."]() *\Image: Amazon\* ## Fresh Lip It's perhaps the most invasive and judgmental piece of technology we've ever seen on the market — and, fittingly, it's also a thinly veiled attempt to cash in on any data Amazon can get its hands on. The tech giant's new wearable, called Halo Band, literally listens to your every word, and it tells you if your voice is too "overbearing" or "irritated," as [*The Washington Post* reports](). The *Post*'s reviewers were told by the device their voices were "opinionated," "dismissive" and even "condescending." The goal is to let users know if their speaking voices are offputting — a fraught and overbearing goal. ## Invasive Tech Did we mention that the gadget also creates a 3D models of your body shape and calculates body fat percentage? The device requires 360 degree smartphone photos of you standing in your underwear, wondering why you've spent money on this thing. Most puzzling of all, Amazon is requiring an invitation for "early access" to buy the $100 unit. ## Thin Ice And early reviews of the ludicrous device aren't exactly glowing. "We hope our tone is clear here: We don’t need this kind of criticism from a computer," the *Post* writes in its review of the wearable. "The Halo collects the most intimate information we’ve seen from a consumer health gadget — and makes the absolute least use of it." "I felt body-shamed and confused by the Halo," *New York Times* tech writer Brian Chen wrote in [his review](), noting that it also "felt like a negative experience that failed to motivate me to get fit." The device at least can do to other things as well. It can monitor activity, heart rate, sleep patterns, and even skin temperature. It also doesn't have a screen, meaning you'll have to get your phone out to get any useful information out of your new wearable. **READ MORE:** [Amazon’s new health band is the most invasive tech we’ve ever tested]() \[*The Washington Post*\] **More on Amazon:** *[Amazon Patent Makes the Most Horrible Gamers Play With Each Other]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()