Facebook is playing a dangerous game with Apple

Facebook has finally unleashed Messenger Platform, letting developers build chatbots -- intelligent software that lets you get stuff done just by sending text messages. And investors are pouring cash into startups that promise to ride the wave. Which makes it even weirder that Facebook's introduction of the Messenger Platform feels a little tepid. Rather than follow in Microsoft's footsteps and pitch chatbots as a transformational shift that will change the future of computing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is billing them as a better way to interact with businesses and go shopping. There's not even an app-store-like listing of available bots to see them in one place.