There are many pieces of technology that we take for granted in modern times. An always on the go, connected lifestyle is an expected part of every day life, from online banking, gathering news instantly via social media to voice commanded google searches via the ever-growing pantheon of digital assistants.

New technology that is already invading our everyday lives is expediting slow and laborious processes to make our lives easier to handle. Amazon Go’s new checkout-free stores cut out the queues and make your weekly food shop a breeze. Google and Uber are still experimenting with driverless cars and the world is quickly taking the form of an all connected, technologically advanced utopia.

One piece of tech that UK businesses should take advantage of is augmented reality, a window into another world that can cut down spending, speed up manufacturing and give you on-demand, real-time data right in front of your eyes.

Entertainment is about to change

For those of you who have seen Charlie Brooker and Netflix’s hit show Black Mirror, you will have seen the videogame horror show Playtest, an episode that toys with the idea of fully immersive entertainment through an implanted micro chip that visually conjures illusions to terrify. While we may be several decades away from being able to actually insert ourselves into a new world of immersion, the entertainment industry is already advancing quickly to take advantage.

Imagine playing your favourite video games or being placed right in the centre of an action scene from the latest movie, right from the comfort of your living room. Microsoft Hololens attempts to build a fully interactive virtual world around you for your gaming enjoyment. Check out the test footage from 2015’s E3.

Pokemon Go also experimented with AR as they attempted to motivate the world to get out and explore their local area in the hunt for adorable pocket monsters. Keeping active is a great way that businesses can inject a fun and social aspect to their business plan.

Navigate to the future

(Source: zbindendesign) A whole new way of reaching your destination

Displaying navigation information on car windshields may become reality in less than a decade.

Heads-up display would show drivers exactly where they need to go, how fast their car and other vehicles around them are travelling and real time traffic and time info, right on the windscreen of the car.

Some businesses are already looking to use this in their business, with Amazon planning to have their warehouse runners use augmented navigation to find the optimal route to a product in the warehouse and back to shipping to cut down on time.

Businesses could also use this tech to find the quickest routes for delivery on products or ensuring that police, ambulance and fire services can avoid traffic and get to an incident faster.

Living is easy

(Source: Image by Microsoft Hololens) There might not even be a need for a physical television set anymore.

Microsoft Hololens is doing more than just entertainment for gamers. Recent futurist predictions show that everything in our homes could be an outlet for augmented reality. Check your calendar and plan a meeting whilst washing the dishes in the kitchen, or find out what the weather is like for next weeks holiday as the days headlines scroll past your eyes.

UK company, Blippar, has found a lucrative use for AR by offering leading brands new ways to connect with consumers. Point its app at a Coke can, for instance, and it may play you a tune from Spotify.

Amazon Alexa is already giving us a taste of how the future could be. Use your voice to change the temperature of your house, turn the taps on to run yourself a bath as as you finish work or spool up your favourite playlist as you cook.

There are even apps that let you design and view rooms in your house through your smart device to give you real-time interior design concepts before ever purchasing anything.

The future holds many possibilities for business owners and it is up to you to push the boundaries of what is possible and create something that will positively affect our lives.