TECH OF FUTURE PAST

Yes, we’re doing cliché movie lines for this issue. Why? It has always seemed customary in January that we try to predict what will happen for the year tech-wise, but 2015 is special though because is the year that Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to in Back to the Future Part II. Instead of looking ahead, we thought it would be a great (perhaps the only) opportunity to use the iconic movie as a benchmark to see how much of its tech predictions—made 25 years ago in 1989—have actually come to pass.

And while we’re on the topic of the future, we’ve also recently had an opportunity to experience Formula-E racing to take a closer look at the development of green energy technologies. Our reporter learned a few valuable lessons there, chiefly being that electric race cars sound like a vacuum cleaner. However, one of the innovations we’re really looking forward to is automotive wireless charging—yes, similar to what’s available today for smartphones, but for a car. While hybrid and electric vehicles are no longer new on roads, they’re still more inconvenient than the gas-guzzlers we’re used to. Wireless charging however, could very well change city driving.

Where does that leave us? Hopefully with a very positive start for the new year, and as technology continues to invade every aspect of our lives, you can look forward to HWM covering wider scope of stories. Thank you for all the support given and have a Happy New Year.