Thinner, better, faster, stronger! In honor of the launch of the Even Thinner Wheat Thins Limited Edition product, we partnered with Wheat Thins to look ahead to the thinner, lighter, and most advanced tech we're excited to see next year.
Advancements in tech move lightning fast, but that doesn't mean you can't see the trends coming before they actually get here. For example, wearable tech was a hot topic a few years before the explosion of fitness trackers, and netbooks eventually evolved into real-life tablets that only sci-fi had brought to life previously.
So what are we looking forward to next year? Here are five gadgets and tech advancements we're stoked to see.
Virtual Reality
Your Matrix-style '90s dream of VR becoming — ahem — reality is coming true in 2016 with the release of the Playstation VR, which lets you totally immerse yourself in your gaming experience. Altered states of reality started crawling back into our collective consciousness a handful of years ago with augmented reality (when real-world environments are altered by sound, graphics, images, and more — think Google Glass), and since then we've seen VR slowly creep back into our tech wish lists. I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical about its reemergence, but with Oculus, Google Cardboard, and the HTC Vive making headlines, it's clear that 2016 will be the year of VR, the same way that the Nintendo Wii ushered in the era of motion sensory gaming in 2006.
Flexible Displays
Foldable phones and flexible wristbands aren't just figments of your imagination; At least, not in 2016. A company called Polyera is poised to bring flexible, digital "fabric" into the world next year in the form of wristbands and watches called "Wove." Your fitness trackers are about to get even thinner!
Autonomous Cars
Google is not the only company with self-driving cars up its sleeve, and I seriously cannot wait for my Total Recall-style Johnny Cab. Electric cars are so 2010 — 2016 will be the year of the self-driving car with the likes of Tesla, Volvo, GM, Nissan, and Audi testing self-driving modes and features in their upcoming models.
(Even More) Drones
Let me explain. Yes, for the initated, drones have been a hot topic for a few years now, but so far it's been a fairly niche market. Now that GoPro is releasing their Karma model, drones are about to go mainstream. GoPro is pretty much a household name at this point, so they'll be a trusted source for reliable drone tech that consumers will no doubt invest in.
Texting on Demand
Apps are a way of life, but texting is morphing into more than a way to communicate in emoji. Services like Magic and Go Butler use texting to order — or do — anything under the sun. As long as it's legal, of course. Just text Magic an order (pizza, grocery list, flight info, whatever you need) and the brains (and bodies) behind the service will get it for you on demand. No app downloads, no looking up phone numbers, no hassle. You could even ask them to look up the best burrito place before you place an order, which takes the pain out of wading through Yelp reviews. Who wouldn't want that!?
More From Wheat Thins
Ever wonder what the next dimension in snacking might be? Check out the video below to discover the munchier, crispier, snappier & ensleekened version of Wheat Thins!