Technology continues to enhance our lives, but is also becoming increasingly integrated into everyday exercises. We can control everything from the lights and temperature, to the security systems in our homes remotely from a tablet. We can document events in real time and upload the video from our phones to multiple social networks. Yet, this age of technology integration has just started, and these companies are poised to bring things to a new level in 2015.
Jibo
The interactive, household robot has been a staple in science fiction for ages, but Jibo is aiming to make the dream a reality. Founded by Cynthia Breazeal, an MIT Professor, social robotics expert, and backed by a massively successful Indiegogo campaign, Jibo is preparing to take an interactive robot live in 2015. Although the robot called JIBO doesn’t move, it will be able to deliver messages, interact, take pictures and tell stories.
Square
Payment processing isn’t something that whips most businesses into a frenzy of excitement, but Square is working hard to make it something businesses don’t hate to think about. Beyond its modest 2.75% transaction fee, square has a reputation for delivering clean, secure processing. Square isn’t sitting on its laurels, though. In addition to developed a point of sale system run through an iPad, square has put together an ecosystem of small business software ranging from inventory and invoicing. If the company continues to deliver on price and performance it may soon supplant high-profile alternatives such as PayPal.
Tresata
Finding a way to leverage big data has become something of a universal obsession in business, and Tresata is on the cutting edge of transforming big data in profitable business intelligence. Tresata specializes in predictive analytics and their most recent development focuses on taking all of a business’s customer data, analyzing it in real time, and delivering hyper-specific segmentation. If Tresata can deliver on this promise, it stands to reshape how business is done worldwide.
InfinityAR
Infinity AR is focused on augmented reality. Their combination of software and stereoscopic cameras will allow mobile devices to create three dimensional renderings of the environment that merge digitally-accessible content with the real world experience. If all goes as planned, users will be able to interact with the rendering using intuitive gestures. Infinity is set for a beta launch in the third quarter of 2015.
As innovative companies push the limits of readily available technology and develop new ones, they are creating a world in which the digital and the real overlap to an astonishing degree. Whether it’s using a household robot to order pizza or simplifying payment processing, technological innovations will remake the human experience.
About the Author:
“Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information on technology improvement or how you can get started with an mba in information systems, contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.”
