Top Articles to Read This Week:

Expanding Ecosystems was the theme this week. Brands are adding new hardware and software, partnering with other brands, and entering new markets, all in the name of expanding their own reach.Here are the top articles for this week:1.

How Echo Look could feed Amazons big data fueled fashion ambitionsBy Natasha Lomas in TechCrunchAmazon already had hardware with its Echo speaker, but now it has moved into the camera space with its Echo Look. With this expansion, the brand is looking to get a sizable chunk of the fashion market and maybe the social media market2. Why Netflix could release some of its own movies in French theatersBy Tom Huddleston, Jr.

in Venture BeatCurrently, Netflixs domain is online with streamable content (though they have started entering into the merchandise space). But whats stopping them from moving into the physical theater space? It seems they are toying with this option via cinema partnerships, which is the first step towards expanding their UX beyond a single digital platform.

3. Musical.ly, Apple Music Ink New Partnership, With More to ComeBy Dan Rys in BillboardApple has partnered with the music creation app Musical.

ly, which lets Apple expand their marketing venue and lets Musical.ly creators feature their full songs on Apple Music. Therefore, Apple now has some stake in social media and Musical.

ly has expanded their content distribution.4. Spotifys Blockchain Acquisition is a Big DealBy Thomas Euler in attentionecono.

meWith Spotifys acqui-hire of Mediachain Labs core team, they have effectively announced their intention to enter the royalty and rights management space. This has always appeared to be where they wanted to go, but this is the first time it seems like they are actively engaging with this space.5.

Inside Netflixs new partnership with Baidu-owned iQiYiBy Yuyu Chen in DigidayNetflix is on a roll this week. Western brands know how difficult it is to enter the Chinese market, and Netflix decided to enter into a partnership with an already-established Chinese streaming service to get the job done. Curated by Hadley Stork.

RELATED QUESTION Why don't hotel rooms have ceiling lights? My hotel building is over 100 years old, so we have ceiling lights. We also need a ladder to change a bulb 11' from the floor.

It can take 20 minutes for 1 bulb! This is one reason that we have changed to the longer lasting (and more economical) low-energy bulbs. I would be delighted to have wall lights instead.

Retro-fitting them would however be even less economically sound. Higher than average ceilings mean ladders to change the bulbs in ceiling fittings, and this extends the maintenance time and convenience for staff enormously. Even normal height ceilings mean that a chair is needed to swap a bulb out.

Wall fittings are so much more convenient for both staff and customers, reducing the time taken to get light again! As Michael Forrest Jones says - anything other than a simple bulb swap requires the power to be cut to the whole circuit (which may be more than just a few rooms). This makes it very awkward to do emergency repairs after dark!

-- Been there done that. Go with wall fittings that can be isolated in-room! In short: I have ceiling lights.

I don't like them, as they are awkward for maintenance. Replacing them would be expensive and extremely difficult - basically a total rewire of the hotel lighting system. Design engineers are not stupid.

they note the first 2 points!