Joe tackles why making connected devices from precious metals is always a bad idea before follow up. Guus and Joe review more on bots and discuss what would make a good retail bot, and how designers should think of handling bot design. They discuss Google Allo and it's current disappointment of bot integration. Guus get distracted with robots that assist the lonely. Joe discussed why everyone can copy snapchat but it still won't make a difference. Joe gets to finally announce exciting news that over the past years he worked on the IKEA Smart Lighting that was just released in several pilot markets.

The main topic tackles the trend of company taking more services and wearables on their own, forgoing service providers of bundled ecosystems. Utilizing the internet for mass distribution, companies are aiming to control their content and ecosystems to gain a stronger hold on their brand, revenue, and margin.

Guus and Joe discuss 3 potential outcomes of this trend of distribution and specification

• 1. Payment aggregators (but not content aggregators - see: Apple store)
• 2. A reverse back into standard service providers (see: Smart Home argument)
• 3. More fighting over brands to build up companies niche products in users minds - since users will purchase less and be specific about what they need

They conclude with the take away that users should either buy from a single brand or a service provider to ensure their technology works with each other. However since that won't happen, companies should design their technology, HW, and SW considering an ecosystem of broader products and services side-by-side with theirs.

Links

• Snapchat - http://www.wsj.com/articles/snapchat-releases-first-hardware-product-spectacles-1474682719
• Snapchat copies Facebook - https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/30/facebook-messenger-day-snapchat-stories/
• IKEA Smart Lighting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kZ2CVsLCJc
• Toyota robot - http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/3/13146050/toyota-kirobo-mini-robot-price-release-date