Amazon Wants To Scan Your Body To Make Perfectly Fitting Shirts (fastcompany.com) 112
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Fast Company: For just $25, Amazon wants to make you a custom T-shirt. And a virtual body double. This week, the company unveiled a brand called "Made for You" that creates made-to-measure clothes. The initial product, a T-shirt, can be personalized to your taste and measurements, and more products are coming. This is Amazon's latest bid to make itself a fashion destination, and if the company chooses to double down on this made-to-measure technology, it could have significant impacts throughout the industry.
It took me five minutes to design a pink, long-sleeved cotton T-shirt. The process began with creating a virtual body double, which involves inputting details -- such as my height, weight, and skin tone -- then taking two photos on my phone using the 3D body scanner in the app. (Amazon has been incorporating body scanners into a number of its products lately, from its fitness band to its smart mirror.) The final 3D representation that appeared on the app looked uncannily like me. In the final step, I chose the color, sleeve length, and neckline of the tee. Then boom! I added it to my cart, and the custom shirt is set to arrive on Christmas Eve.
It took me five minutes to design a pink, long-sleeved cotton T-shirt. The process began with creating a virtual body double, which involves inputting details -- such as my height, weight, and skin tone -- then taking two photos on my phone using the 3D body scanner in the app. (Amazon has been incorporating body scanners into a number of its products lately, from its fitness band to its smart mirror.) The final 3D representation that appeared on the app looked uncannily like me. In the final step, I chose the color, sleeve length, and neckline of the tee. Then boom! I added it to my cart, and the custom shirt is set to arrive on Christmas Eve.
ok for jeff (Score:2)
Re: ok for jeff (Score:2)
The robot, or the alien from planet Bezos inside it?
Re: (Score:2)
I'm sure they probably did, this is the sort of development that would catch his interest. This has been in development for quite some time internally, they gave a lot of us (Amazon blue badges) a ten dollar gift certificate for being measured a couple of times several different ways. One of the advantages of working there is you get to see odd things like this or the Go stores coming down the pike, as well as mainstream stuff like Alexa in Spanish. There's no way in hell that I'm selling my Amazon stock
Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:3, Funny)
The human race continues to struggle with an ever-growing obesity epidemic, and Amazon's answer to that, is form fitting clothing?
I can see this idea going over like a double-deep-fried balloon filled with nacho cheese.
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:3)
It also doesn't take into account that sometimes you want something a little loose fitting, and sometimes you want something form-fitting.
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How many things do you return to Amazon which you think actually get resold? And how many of those items end up being recycled or dumped as it's cheaper/easier for them to write it off?
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A lot of returns get sold off by the pallet.
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How many things do you return to Amazon which you think actually get resold? And how many of those items end up being recycled or dumped as it's cheaper/easier for them to write it off?
Recycled?
Try destroyed or sent to landfills
Amazon Slammed for Destroying As-New and Returned Goods [slashdot.org]
Many Amazon Returns Are Just Destroyed or Sent to Landfills [slashdot.org]
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:2)
Context: the thread on the other story this was ment for mentoned Trump wanting to be the 'bringer of peace'.
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then we should simply STOP medicating everyone else suffering from mental disorders.
It's not a mental disorder, it's genetic. Unless you're planning on changing their genes before birth they're going to feel that way no matter how much that offends your gentle Christian sensibilities.
Re: (Score:2)
Really?
Where are the studies showing this is genetic?
I mean, sure there are a few hermaphrodites out there, a few folks with an extra gene or two, but those are by far a VERY small minority of the world population.
I seriously doubt that many of the trans folks out there have these rare gene disorders.
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:2)
"I seriously doubt that many of the trans folks out there have these rare gene disorders"
Scientists have found big simalarities in a transperson's brain structure as their cisgendered counterparts.
Even if this was not the case, why the fuck does it matter? And what is with calling these people "demons" and justifying violence against them? (you think they are mentally ill thus they deserve to be beaten and killed, all the while being called "demons"? Really, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!) This isn't colonial era S
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:2)
Your religious freedom ends where it starts trampling on the rights of others.
I don't care what you believe, but when you start trampling on my rights, YOU are going to have a problem.
I don't believe in your god, so keep your god to yourself, ok?
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Worked in an Amazon warehouse once. Returns are resold unless grossly damaged or broken.
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Our niece bought a pallet of returns one time. Most of it she couldn't use so donated to Goodwill, but she still came out ahead on the rest.
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How many things do you return to Amazon which you think actually get resold?
I take it you haven't seen any of those "I bought an Amazon returns box" videos from influencers trying to make a buck on YT yet.
Amazon wraps up literal tons of return in "mystery" bulk pallets and sells it off to 3rd party liquidators.
When you ask "How many things" the most accurate Amazon answer, is probably "Yes."
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> How many things do you return to Amazon which you think actually get resold? And how many of those items end up being recycled or dumped as it's cheaper/easier for them to write it off?
I remember stories of people buying sealed consoles from Best Buy and finding bricks or other junk to weigh the box down.
All it takes it one crack head to buy a coffee maker, take a dump in it, seal the box up and return it. The re-certifying process and potential lawsuits when they fail aren't worth it.
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I actually just tried this out as I am curious to see how well their app is able to measure my fat body. Before purchasing I did make sure returns are allowed. Their website says "You can return this item for any reason: no shipping charges. The item must be returned in new and unused condition." In the future they might change that policy though.
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New and unused technically means you can't try it on, there's nothing stopping them from putting the clothing in 'tamper-proof' packaging and refusing a refund if you tampered. No change in T's&C's required.
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:1)
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I take it you've never returned anything to Amazon, you're not walking up to the counter and handing it to someone like at Walmart. It's a mostly-automated web transaction or a phone call, you print a label or have one sent to you, and the return is credited to your account as soon as the label is scanned at the warehouse (if you actually even need to ship it back). A friend accidentally returned the wrong thing one time, sending something totally different that cost a quarter of the original purchase pri
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I don't know if this particular app takes that into account or not, but using actual measurements to fit clothing doesn't preclude making loose fitting clothing from those measurements.
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Amazon policy is returns are accepted. Where have you been for the last couple of decades to not know this?
There are standards in clothing fitment known as "slim/athletic fit", "standard/classic fit", and "relaxed/loose fit". They also are not new inventions. Selecting between them is a simple function.
You seem to be being deliberately obtuse, aka trolling.
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I still don't think I've ever brought a piece of clothing other than a tee-shirt online, and it's not as if "fit" is anything like as important in a tee-shirt as the slogan on the front. Occasionally on the back too.
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The human race continues to struggle with an ever-growing obesity epidemic, ...
Actually, it doesn't. Apparently that was already declining - at least among US school-age children - by the time the Obama administration made a big deal of student lunch composition.
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Yeah, leading to many an inedible meal and kids going hungry.
https://news.yahoo.com/teens-b... [yahoo.com]
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/a... [buzzfeednews.com]
https://www.huffpost.com/entry... [huffpost.com]
https://abcnews.go.com/US/stud... [go.com]
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No, that was caused by schools hiring cooks who don't know how to cook real food.
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Many of the parents of our generation failed their children. Most of my niece's and nephew's friends couldn't cook anything more complex than ramen when they left the house, and most of the rest hit their limit at boxed mac and cheese.
Re: Thicc is the new Thin. (Score:2)
True, but that is no excuse for schools to fail students by hiring cooks who can't cook.
They tell us all about how important an education is, how we will need it to find a job, then they hire lames who can't do their jobs.
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What is the thing with American school lunches??
They all seem to be unhealthy or unpalatable.
Here in Australia, schools have a canteen for time-poor parents (aka lazy), but most kids just bring their own lunches to school.
A sandwich and a piece of fruit for my kids. Sometimes a treat. Boring and cheap. They wolf it down and run off to play.
The evening meal is the main meal of the day, and we can make sure they eat some vegetables then.
The American school lunch system seems to be based on the idea that pa
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Money, really. Lunch to a school is an overhead. They will serve the cheapest meal that government requirements let them get away with, and since America tends to favor light regulations where possible, that tends to involve 'mystery meat' and boiled staples. It's even a recurring source of political dispute, as various politicians either push for healthier school meals, or push back against government regulation and spending.
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For a lot of poor kids, the "awful" school lunches (and often school breakfasts) are the only real meals the kids eat.
For example [businessinsider.com]:
Children who suffer from summer hunger can face more health challenges than their more affluent peers. For instance, many children from low-income families turn to inexpensive, calorie-dense foods during the summer, but those meals lack nutritional value. According to No Kid Hungry, many children who go without school meals during the summer gain weight two to three times faster than their peers during those months. This can lead to higher healthcare expenses for children experiencing obesity.
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You cannot blame poverty for such neglect. By historical and global standards, these families are wealthy and food is cheap.
You only need look as far as Mexico, to see people feeding their kids on a fraction of the budget.
The US industrial agriculture and food distribution system has made food cheaper than ever:
A whole chicken, luxury to my grandparents, is now $5. Seasonal fresh fruit $1-2/lb.
Frozen mixed vegetables $1/lb. This is crazy cheap, but people choose convenience and junk food.
Instant
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The human race continues to struggle with an ever-growing obesity epidemic, ...
Actually, it doesn't. Apparently that was already declining - at least among US school-age children - by the time the Obama administration made a big deal of student lunch composition.
Claiming an epidemic is "declining" is like claiming the same thing with smoking. Smoking is still one of the planets largest killers. Even today. So is obesity.
And looking at children is hardly the accurate metric with obesity, since the massive majority of humans become overweight or obese as an adult. Up until my early 20's, I would have laid ten grand on the table betting I would never get over a certain weight in my life. Adult reality set in a couple dozen pounds later.
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And still the majourity is slim and/or athletic.
And: do fat people not have a right to fitting cloth?
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Automatically tailored clothing is actually a good idea that people have been wanting since the 90's, and the only thing that has really prevented it from happening is privacy requirements and people's utter incompetency at judging their own weight/measurements.
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Automatically tailored clothing is actually a good idea that people have been wanting since the 90's, and the only thing that has really prevented it from happening is privacy requirements and people's utter incompetency at judging their own weight/measurements.
What you call "utter incompetency" I accurately label that as arrogant people unwilling to recognize their own faults. This isn't a matter of judging as much as it is a matter of admitting the obvious truth. A computer isn't going to be any more successful convincing the socialite narcissist she's actually a size 14 and not the size 6 she's been violating for the better part of a decade.
As far as privacy requirements, we live in a world that rewards narcissism. Privacy, is no longer a concern. Anyone who
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A computer isn't going to be any more successful convincing the socialite narcissist she's actually a size 14 and not the size 6 she's been violating for the better part of a decade.
A custom, made to fit, item is not a size. There is no need to include a label that says "YOU ARE FAT". It just fits -thus removing the shame of purchasing appropriately sized garments.
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--Yah, this is news for guys but not so much for the ladies
And it took me five seconds to nope out of this. (Score:3, Insightful)
There are people.
And there are creatures that give their data to their enemies to be used against them in every possible way.
Two different species. The former woild never reproduce with or give even an inch to the latter.
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You would, if you knew what she looks like in that shirt. Don't tell me you have this conversation early, it's likely 10th date material at the earliest.
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There is a third species, the kind that instantly declares everyone an enemy. These are typically classified Homonutbaggius. Classical traits are an affinity for aluminium foil to cover the hair on their heads, and a propensity to tell people all the things they do not do rather than the traditional social norms of the Homosapien of telling people the things they do do.
Not want (Score:2)
Thing is, I don't want perfectly fitted clothing. I like stuff that fits loosely, to give me room to move and let my skin breathe.
If I wanted a perfect fit, I'd just wear yoga pants and tight tees. And it would be uncomfortable, and you wouldn't want to see it.
Re: Not want (Score:1)
No, it is offering "custom" fit, not skin tight unless that's what you're after. It's a crap product, but more because it's really far less customized than the article is misleading one to believe.
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I'm pretty sure they have checkboxes:
[ ] lose fit
[ ] extra long
[ ] longer sleeves
[ ] without collar
etc.
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TFA actually shows the app has
loose fit - classic fit - slim fit
as options.
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I'm pretty sure they have checkboxes: [ ] lose fit
If I want "loose fit" I will go to the store and find something there. Something I can take away with me after trying it on, if needs be.
And it seems to me rather futile to be ordering "perfect fit" clothes just before christmas kicks in. After the festivities I suspect that many "perfect fit" will seem a little too snug.
Or maybe that's the plan?
Re: Not want (Score:2)
"After the festivities I suspect that many "perfect fit" will seem a little too snug.
Or maybe that's the plan?"
Yep, good old Planned Obsolecence.
To me, a form fitting shirt that's not sportswear just seems like all kinds of ick. :|
Re: Not want (Score:2)
"I'm pretty sure they have checkboxes:
[X] lose fit
[X] extra long
[X] longer sleeves
[ ] without collar
[X] High, stiff, snug collar with large lapels"
That would be for me. :O)
The purpose of clothing (Score:4, Insightful)
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I'm sure that it will provide options to mask body shape as well as showcase it, with suggestions for colour and patterns that assist.
Clone (Score:2)
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No need for a clone. Since most people are shit, just grab a pile off the sidewalk.
And then they'll have..... (Score:5, Insightful)
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I was also thinking that, vampires trying to capture all your biometrics.
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Their plan to "monetize" it is to sell you more and better-fitting clothes. I'm really not seeing your objection. Care to clarify?
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I"m sure your insurance companies would LOVE to get your body info....and raise your rates based on your obesity levels, etc.
Re:And then they'll have..... (Score:5, Interesting)
Amazon never sells customer info, ever. Personally identifying information has the highest classification at Amazon, higher even then personnel information (we have to take a refresher periodically about data classification and pass the test.) I could get Jeff Bezo's personnel data easier than I could get your shirt measurement.
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Amazon never sells customer info, ever. Personally identifying information has the highest classification at Amazon, higher even then personnel information
For now.
And one day, that will change, whether by hack or by policy change or by some other method.
Perhaps you have faith in Amazon, but the total absence of leverage means that the only recourse available is to withhold the information in the first place.
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Introducing... Amazon Date. With accurate and verified body measurements. See how they look naked, before your first date. (C)
No thanks. (Score:1)
I don't need shirts that bad.
And they already have too much data on me.
As a sewer I would love this! (Score:2)
Let me bend over. (Score:3)
You can scan this.
Re: Let me bend over. (Score:2)
Good idea. Can we all use the app by taking pictures of out asses and wait till the announcement comes out that Amazon engineers are tired of troubleshooting the fitting app because all the see are hairy asses all day.
Re: Let me bend over. (Score:2)
Imagine if someone sent a pic of their penis to the fitting computer. :O)
Sounds awesome to me (Score:2)
I see a lot of people against this - are you all seriously finding shirts that fit you well all the time?
I have a thinner frame and longer arms, I often have issues with finding shirts that actually fit well. Shirts can often hang off me, or have parts like the sleeves or shoulders that fit oddly on me.
There are other higher end clothing companies that have you take measurements in several places - those are better for sure, but even there you can get odd actual fitting around shoulders or other areas.
It s
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*Full disclosure* I work at Amazon, but nothing to do with this.
I'm quite sure this is a real product, for two reasons. First, they've spent a lot of money developing this process. A couple hundred of us (at least) got $10 gift certificates for going in and getting measured several different ways, including tape measure and photo, and another gift certificate to go back later for another set of measurements. This has been in development for quite some time.
Second and most important, there are three quart
Skin tone? (Score:3)
It' a perfect fit! (Score:5, Funny)
"Damn, we've been having a lot of orders for shirts shaped like beach balls lately."
"Yep. Slashdot just had an article about us."
Big (Score:4, Funny)
Does it actually work? (Score:2)
Is it actually any better than a standard size? What about if you don't have a perfect six-pack and don't want it to fit incredibly snugly?
Does it work for other types of shirt, jackets etc? You don't want a jacket to fit tight to your body, but it still benefits from being tailor fit, if the measurements are done right. For those less than perfectly svelte, a well-cut jacket can help to hide the flab. Can the AI do as well as a tailor?
Delos (Score:1)
How does it really work? (Score:2)
My first guess would be:
- Take a selfie.
- Send pic to India and China.
- Let children select a shirt size for you: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
- Pass it through the standard ordering process.
- Call it "custom-tailored" and profit.
If this isn't how it works, then some competitor will do this. AliExpress.com or Alibaba.com I would think.
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At some point they are going to have to do the opposite of condoms, and start shifting sizes down. Make the average size 'XL' so the overweight people can avoid the shame of having to buy XXXL.
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You probably mean "obese". There aren't this many overweight people actually. One is "overweight" at a body mass index (BMI) of 25, and "obese" at 35. Some definitions involving the BMI put "overweight" just between 25 and 30 even.
If this is confusing then know there is no definition for the word "fat", and one can just call them all fat (... don't try this at home).
Again? (Score:2)
"And a virtual body double. "
They already did that once years ago, but we had to enter the measures ourselves.
no thanks (Score:3)
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i prefer loose fitting clothes, much more comfortable, plus natural fibers are best 100% cotton, and wool for winter warmth
Yes, exactly. And after a pandemic like this, I'm pretty sure we're going to see a rather massive shift towards "athleisurewear"...also known as the work pajamas many have gotten very used to wearing for the last year.
Watch Under Armour become a suit maker, and CEOs strut around in $200 custom-tailored yoga pants.
Sure they will (Score:2)
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Insurance companies might pay a bit to target advertisments on it. No point showing advertisments to the overly obese, who would only cost the company money if they did sign up.
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I've seen this objection several times in the thread, and I'm actually curious what nefarious use you think your measurements could be put to.
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I've seen this objection several times in the thread, and I'm actually curious what nefarious use you think your measurements could be put to.
Corporate rates on health insurance are already subject to adjustments after employee health screenings. My previous employer paid for detailed physicals, including bloodwork, and fitness trackers for tens of thousands of employees in order to get a discount on the rate they paid for health insurance.
Better believe if health insurance ever gets decoupled from employment, a massive measurement and health database will be very valuable.
Of course, if healthcare ever gets decoupled from health insurance, that
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Just as an FYI (I mentioned this somewhere earlier in the thread too) Amazon does not sell its customer data, ever. We periodically have to take a refresher course on data security, and customer identifiable data has the highest classification of anything in Amazon. Jeff Bezos' HR info has a lower classification than your shirt measurements would (really).
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Even if Amazon claims they don't sell information
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Other than your last sentence, which I disagree with because it's held as a basic tenet of the company that customer data is sacrosanct, my response tends to be "so what?" The credit card companies have considerably more aggregate data about us, which they **do** sell, and I recognize that in the modern world there isn't any reasonable way to avoid this. If Amazon wants to sell me the latest widget, good luck. I don't respond to advertising much. On the other hand if they let me know that (for example)
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either by selling it to 3rd parties
No, Amazon does not sell customer data, ever. That's what I meant by "sacrosanct", personally identifiable customer data has the highest classification in Amazon, and we all periodically have to take a refresher course on data classification to remind us of that fact.
**OF COURSE** they use the data themselves. My niece would put her hands on her hips, cock her head and say, "Duh!" I'm not really sure what retail operation wouldn't. If the barista at the coffee shop remembers your regular drink and look
Sizing for the pod (Score:1)
Re: this is not new (Score:2)
Microsoft tactic: Act like you invented it. Overpower rhe original with your marketing. Trust in most people not having heard of the original yet.
Has many things in common with EEE.
Apple vs Microsoft. (Score:2)
You're mixing up your brands / tech giant.
Microsoft tactic: Act like you invented it. Overpower rhe original with your marketing. Trust in most people not having heard of the original yet.
That's the Apple tactic:
(see: portable music player (too numerous to list), PDA (Psion predates Newton), actually mass-successful touchscreen PDA/Smartphone (the whole PalmOS (PDA) and Symbian (Smartphone) ecosystems predate iPhone, etc.)
Apple just has the habit of pretending of having invented nearly everything that everybody was doing for at least a decade before, when all they did is release a very dumbed down version (that - at least to their credit - is a bit m
Re: Apple vs Microsoft. (Score:2)
"Nobody was ever fired for having the company invest in IBM products"
I wonder how true that is for today?
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mtailor.com you mean? Your domain looks to be for sale.
Regardless of who else does it... the more the merrier. I am a rather tall person, so have a short list of places where I can buy a shirt which fits, so I for one welcome the new market competition... depending on how this goes, I may even be persuaded to buy from Amazon again (I've been avoiding them for 2 years now). However given a plethora of experience, I'm sure tall individuals will be ignored again.
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mtaylor.com does this already...
mtailor.com you mean?
Ha, you tinkered the tailor it's sold on, guy.
[ Many, many, apologies to John le Carré [wikipedia.org]. :-) ]
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Give MTailor a try. I liked it. I'm a rather lanky fellow with an unusually wide neck. This always forced me to buy shirts off the rack with the bodies fit for a much larger guy. Their shirts were some of the first I experienced where they fit in all dimensions.
Then COVID hit, my gym closed, and I put on more weight than I've ever had. So... yeah. But I can't blame MTailor for that.
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This gives me an idea for a company that makes custom fit condoms...
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mtailor.com you mean? Your domain looks to be for sale.
Regardless of who else does it... the more the merrier. I am a rather tall person, so have a short list of places where I can buy a shirt which fits, so I for one welcome the new market competition... depending on how this goes, I may even be persuaded to buy from Amazon again (I've been avoiding them for 2 years now). However given a plethora of experience, I'm sure tall individuals will be ignored again.
Same here as I really struggle getting stuff that fits me at reasonable prices at least. I'm 6'4" which isn't uncommon but I'm thin waist and carry little body fat but blocky upper torso with larger than average shoulders, delts and chest and long arms. As a result I can barely get anything that fits well even for the niche markets as most tall skinny guys cuts are too tight upper, tall fat guys is like wearing a sack, average size wrong in every dimension. Thus this could work out well but I'm cynical myse
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Your mom's camera doesn't have a wide enough angle lens to take the pictures.
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An Amazon insider's view - They've spent a lot of money on this, but at Amazon they have enough cash that "Failure is an option". If it didn't work they would have just abandoned the idea and maybe come back to try again in a few years. I made a couple of posts higher in the thread pointing out why I think this.