2014 was a year of great technological advances, including new inventions, some returning retro items, and devices straight out of a big-budget science fiction movie. Today's modern tech gadgets and scientific possibilities seem endless and these innovative breakthroughs will surely shape human life for years to come.
Thanks to the likes of talking appliances and farming drones, the world as we know it is mutating in the strangest - and most exciting - ways. The latest gadgets will let you print in whole new ways, both without ink and in 3-D. From the worlds of medicine, computers, robotics, and alternative energy, 2014 saw major tech breakthroughs in almost every arena.
2014's latest technologies will make your life easier in seemingly endless ways. Check out the cool new gadgets and technology below. Who knows what will come next?!
http://www.ranker.com/list/tech-breakthroughs-2014/arlingtonstories,
Agile Robots
Breakthrough: The science fiction pulp stories and movies saw it coming: agile robots. These new robots stand upright and can walk just like human beings, over all types of terrain.
Why It Matters: You can send a robot into hostile environments, from harsh climates, to dangerous war zones. Even space missions might benefit from agile robots.
Brain Mapping
Breakthrough: Drawing a pathway of the structures of the human brain can unlock numerous secrets we have yet to discover. Brain mapping is bringing us closer to this.
Why It Matters: Scientists will know more about the brain and how it works. Disorders, dreams, and other matters might be unlocked by simply following the map.
Body-Adapted Wearable Electronics
Breakthrough: Not only do we have a symbiotic relationship with our mobile technology, but now that technology can read our emotions and become one with us. With Google Glass and Apple’s forthcoming iWatch, wearable electronics have gone mainstream.
Why It Matters: Wearable electronics are not just a fashion statement. They can monitor our health, expand our vision, and provide a experiences.
Goji Smart Lock
Breakthrough: You can now lock and unlock your door from anywhere in the world. You’re probably tired of fumbling with your keys to enter the house and the Goji Smart Lock eliminates the need for them entirely. It works with your smartphone and sends photos of whoever is knocking on your door straight to the device.
Why It Matters: Keyless entry has become a mainstay for most automobiles. It makes sense that we would get something similar for our homes, and you'll never have to rush home to check the locks again.
Mobile Collaboration
Breakthrough: Being out of the office used to mean that you pretty much left work behind, unless you brought along some hardcopies or had your resident IT person give you remote access to your computer. Now, you can collaborate with coworkers on the go. Mobile devices are no longer just for viewing Web content and documents.
Why It Matters: You can edit, write, share important documents from anywhere in the world.
Brain-Computer Interfaces
Breakthrough: The brain is the control center of the body and can actually be used to control computers. This used to be pure science fiction, but now, neuroscientists are laying the groundwork to make great leaps in this technology. Individuals with spinal injuries, or other physical issues now have the opportunity to use advanced technologies to move beyond the restraints of their bodies.
Why It Matters: Most of us will grow old one day. Brain-computer interfaces can ensure that our failing bodies won’t get in the way of our still agile minds.
Agricultural Drones
Breakthrough: Over the years, technology has improved farming. But there’s still work to be done. Agricultural drones, capable of flying over crops with cameras, make the job of farming easier in many respects.
Why It Matters: The resulting improved management of water and pest control would, in theory, yield bigger crops and be less labor intensive.
LG’s Home Chat
Breakthrough: Your home appliances are no longer just silently waiting to be used. With LG’s Home Chat, they talk back. Your smartphone becomes central command for your daily tasks like cooking, washing, and cleaning. You can check (or adjust) your laundry settings, get recipe suggestions from your oven, and tell your vacuum cleaner what time to start and the way you want it to vacuum the house.
Why It Matters: The Jetsons and most science fiction movies and TV shows promised a future in which our appliances understand what we need. That future is finally here.
Panomo Panoramic Camera
Breakthrough: See all sides of a scene with the Panomo Panoramic Camera. Throw the Panomo in the air and it’ll take a perfect panoramic shot that is both clear and better than anything you might have taken by hand. The camera easily creates 100-megapixel panoramic shots.
Why It Matters: Better photos means more details, new perspectives, and less time poking around with the edit features on your smartphone or digital camera.
Polaroid Socialmatic Camera
Breakthrough: Polaroid photos were great for instant gratification. Point. Shoot. Click. Shake. These days, photos viewed on a smartphone screen, tablet, or computer screen is the norm, but sometimes a physical object is what you need. The Polaroid Socialmatic Camera prints your hottest pics on ink-free paper.
Why It Matters: For those who want a bit of nostalgia coupled with the newer conveniences of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Polaroid Socialmatic is easily one of the coolest new technologies around.