10 Tech Advances To Look Forward To In 2015

The future is now… or at least it will be within the next 12 months. Be prepared with tech that’s ready today: the QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones from Bose.

1. Drones will hopefully be popularized for consumer use.

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Drones have long been used overseas for safety inspections on construction sites and the like, but consumer-facing companies like Amazon.com seek to use the drone as a premium air delivery service.

2. Smart clothes will tell you more about your body than you wanted to know.

youtube.com / engineeringsport.co.uk

youtube.com / engineeringsport.co.uk

Take your fitness routine to the next level with clothing that monitors your vitals and encourages you to keep up the good work.

3. Virtual reality will take a real step forward.

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Industry leader Oculus continues to make waves every day. The company has recently acquired Nimble VR, a developer devoted to bringing precise hand movement to the VR world.

4. Wearable tech will finally be widespread.

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Beyond movement-tracking fitness bands and niche products, tech giants seek to popularize the smartwatch. Additionally, devices like Google Glass will be mass-produced for consumer use.

5. Mobile payments will be the norm.

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Big corporations are currently fighting over who will win the mobile payment war, but by the end of 2015, you can expect most stores that accept credit cards to also accept payments via your smartphone.

6. Digital driver's licenses will replace standard tactile cards.

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Iowa recently became the first state that will allow for the use of digital driver's licenses through their app. Other states will surely be soon to follow.

7. "Smart windshields" will become huge aids for safe driving.

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Jaguar and Land Rover have been busy collaborating on a "smart windshield" that can identify pedestrians or cyclists at risk around you and much, much more.

8. Home automation will be inescapable.

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Similar to the Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House, but hopefully a lot less scary, home automation will take a huge leap forward in 2015 with the availability of highly anticipated products like Mother that monitor how you interact with your living space.

9. Self-driving cars will become a reality (fingers crossed).

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Recently, a complete prototype of Google's self-driving car was unveiled, and it is now ready for testing. Luckily, California has issued a permit that allows self-driving cars to be tested on the state's roads. Coming soon to a NorCal street near you!

10. Controlling the elements will finally be within your grasp.

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Illusionist and master magician Adam Wilber has developed a device that allows the user to shoot fireballs from their wrists up to 10 feet into the air. We all better watch out. Mutants are real!

2015 will be amazing. There’s innovative tech on the way, and stuff you can enjoy right now, from Bose.