SIGNALAI·Jun 16, 2026, 6:01 PMSignal60Short term

The DIY era of smartwatches has begun - Google and Apple already have me hooked

Source: ZDNet — AI

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The DIY era of smartwatches has begun - Google and Apple already have me hooked

Google's Create My Widget and Apple's new Shortcuts feature prove we're in a DIY era of automation.

Why this matters
Why now

The increasing sophistication and accessibility of automation tools on mainstream consumer devices, coupled with user demand for personalization, are driving this trend.

Why it’s important

This shift towards user-driven automation democratizes powerful AI capabilities, allowing individuals to customize their digital environments and streamline workflows without needing coding expertise.

What changes

Consumers gain unprecedented control over their device's functionality, transforming smartwatches and other personal tech into highly individualized automation hubs.

Winners
  • · Tech-savvy consumers
  • · Smartwatch manufacturers
  • · Platform developers
  • · App ecosystem
Losers
  • · Companies offering rigid, pre-packaged automation solutions
Second-order effects
Direct

Increased user engagement and stickiness for platforms offering robust DIY automation features.

Second

A new wave of 'citizen developers' creating and sharing sophisticated personal automations, potentially fostering a micro-economy around these creations.

Third

The blurring of lines between consumer and developer, leading to expectations for similar 'DIY' capabilities in other personal and professional software.

Editorial confidence: 90 / 100 · Structural impact: 40 / 100
Original report

This signal links to a primary source. Continuum Brief monitors and indexes it as part of the live intelligence stream — we do not republish source content.

Read at ZDNet — AI
Tracked by The Continuum Brief · live intelligence network
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