CES 2015: Samsung's new Ativ One 7 PC will bring the curves to CES

Samsung has ensured that its CES 2015 hype train left the station early with a slew of announcements this week, the latest of which is the Windows 8.1-powered Ativ One 7 Curved all-in-one curved PC.

The company says it's the first curved all-in-one PC, with a 27-inch "full HD display, smart connectivity and advanced sound features."

The announcement also highlights the display's color capabilities and wide 178-degree viewing angles, its "metallic deco frame" ("with complimentary stand"), and the PC's cross-device content sharing and Samsung phone connectivity features through SideSync 3.0 and Samsung Link 2.0.

As far as specs, the Ativ One 7 Curved packs Intel's Core i5 chip, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB flash drive, and Bluetooth Music Play 3.0, which lets users connect Bluetooth devices to the PC's dual 10W speakers even when it's turned off.

The Samsung Ativ One 7 Curved PC will launch in the first quarter of 2015 at $1,300 (about £830, AU$1,600). Watch out for more coverage at CES next week.

Samsung this week also introduced a set of alien-looking speakers and curved soundbars, a more powerful Galaxy Note 4, a virtual reality streaming service, and a fanless MacBook Air competitor.

• You'll want to read TechRadar's Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

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What to expect from business tech in 2015

2015 promises to be an exciting year for enterprise technology. Will this be the year when tablets finally out-ship PCs? Can cloud storage get even cheaper? Who will hackers target next?

Judging from the four quarters already behind us, the year to come will certainly be chock full of new challenges for companies of all shapes and sizes. Journey with us now as we polish our crystal ball in an effort to get a clearer look at the next 12 months ahead and how they might impact key areas of technology.

Tablets at work

Last summer, Gartner predicted 2015 would be the year tablets finally outsell traditional desktop and laptop computers, achieving shipments of 321 million units as PCs declined to only 262 million units.

While it's too early to know for sure if that prediction will pan out, there is little doubt companies are favoring the adoption of tablets and smartphones, which offer greater mobility and cross-platform support for applications. With the right enterprise-connected applications, employees can be more productive on the go, especially when Wi-Fi and cellular data connectivity is factored into the equation.

Among the companies placing big bets on tablets this year are JPMorgan Chase & Co. (via BizJournals), who will begin testing tablets in many branches as a faster way for customers to open accounts and make transactions without having to stand in line waiting for a teller window to open up.

Tablets should also get a big boost in 2015 with the arrival of a touch-enabled version of Microsoft Office for Windows and Android, nearly a year after Redmond debuted the software on Apple's market-leading iPad.

Internet of (software) Things

It's little surprise the internet has gone from simply connecting computers and mobile devices to almost everything else in our lives. According to recent IDC data, the so-called "Internet of Things" is expected to connect as many as 30 billion items by 2020, becoming a potential $3.04 trillion (about UK£1.96T, AU$3.74T) market for businesses in the process.

Of course, those impressive figures assume vendors will succeed in finding creative ways to integrate products that consumers will actually want to own and use. Research firms appear to be pinning these hopes and dreams on more nimble startups and smaller companies, rather than larger, more traditional firms.

Analysts predict all of these internet-connected gadgets will likely strain IT networks over the next three years, consuming what has previously been excess storage capacity. One burgeoning market is likely to come from "smart cities" as more local governments buy into the advantages of technology.

The biggest change for the Internet of Things in 2015, however, could wind up being less about hardware: At least one venture capitalist sharing predictions with Forbes anticipates that companies will begin focusing more on the software driving the hardware, rather than the actual "things" themselves.

Data security gets personal

From Target to Heartbleed to Sony Pictures, 2014 will likely go down as a banner year for hackers, who made headlines around the world for their devious and generally expensive antics. Security experts anticipate the worst may still be yet to come, however.

Web sense (PDF link) predicts healthcare providers could become a prime target for IT attacks this year, along with the industrial sensors being used to connect such businesses to the Internet of Things. Older open source code is also expected to come back to haunt companies with further vulnerabilities yet to be discovered.

Although financial information would appear to be the most high profile target for many hackers, analysts say our personal data – Social Security numbers, for example - is likely to become far more attractive for digital thieves. Computerized patient data and the personal details consumers provide when applying for credit cards or loans have also been cited as evolving targets.

Mobile devices will also become increasingly large goals, but not necessarily for the goldmine of data they contain. Instead, attackers will look to exploit the new authentication methods (such as two-factor authentication and Apple's Touch ID) being used to safeguard personal data on smartphones as more users adopt such technology.

Apple embraces business

Everyone seems to have an opinion on what Apple may or may not do in 2015, but last year's enterprise partnership with IBM will certainly be hard to top for getting the iPhone and iPad into the hands of even more business users.

Already beloved by more than 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies, Apple's newfound assault on the enterprise was a clear shot across the bow at the likes of BlackBerry, fresh off their defeat in the consumer smartphone and tablet space. Apple is expected to kick off the year with an initial batch of IBM-powered MobileFirst for iOS apps, which will eventually include more than 100 titles available preloaded with new devices.

Apple is widely rumored to follow up the IBM partnership with a so-called iPad Pro, a business-centric 12.9-inch version of Cupertino's tablet likely to have more potential to replace Windows-based PCs than the Mac ever could.

Such moves could also help alleviate one of Apple's few Achilles heels: The seasonal marketing of the company's consumer lineup. The renewed focus on business could help shore up Apple's financials without customers having to line up for a new iPhone.

Falling cloud prices

There's little doubt 2014 will be remembered as the year of more affordable cloud storage for consumers and businesses alike, a trend most experts seem to agree will continue into the New Year. But challenges lie ahead as organizations weigh the convenience of public cloud services against the need for additional data security.

Amazon, Google and Microsoft made headlines last year duking it out over falling cloud storage prices, moves that had ripple effects across the rest of the industry. Even traditionally more costly services like Dropbox jumped into the price cut fray, while Microsoft made an annual Office 365 subscription look like a sweet bonus for users receiving an unlimited OneDrive storage bump.

We expect Google and Microsoft to keep at each others' throats this year - after all, nothing is truly "free," and massive, cheap cloud storage offers each company an advantage when it comes to locking in businesses and consumers alike for the long haul.

Lower prices will continue to go hand-in-hand with more generous storage capacities in 2015, although businesses should expect prices to level out a bit, presumably with less dramatic decreases than last year.

Wearables for business

As the consumer world braces for the arrival of Apple Watch early this year, businesses are likely to be more focused on devices worn on areas of the body other than the wrist.

Forrester Research (via Information Week) recently predicted Google Glass could find its niche this year in the medical and manufacturing trades, after largely being ignored by consumers spooked about privacy and the general lack of style smart glasses have displayed thus far.

Perhaps because of lackluster consumer adoption to date, the wearables market also isn't expected to become the next big goldmine for developers in 2015. That could change if Apple or Google succeeds at growing their respective app store concept for smartwatches, but for now enterprise solutions are likely to be far more lucrative for software designers.

Wrist-worn wearables are also expected to cede ground this year to gadgets clipped onto clothing, or even built directly into the fabric. Ralph Lauren introduced (via CNET) such sensor-equipped smart shirts in time for last year's US Open, and other companies are working on jackets, shoes and even bras for this year.

Splitsville

For decades, corporations have acquired smaller rivals to accelerate growth plans, in keeping with the old adage "the more the merrier." 2015 will go in the opposite direction for a few tech behemoths, which are quickly coming to grips with the realization there may no longer be safety in numbers.

Among the more high profile separations already announced are eBay and PayPal. After nearly 13 years together, the online auction giant plans to send the payment service packing sometime during the second half of the year after months of shareholder pressure.

In October, Hewlett-Packard announced another 5,000 heads would roll as part of the company's split into two publicly traded organizations: One focused on enterprise (servers, software, cloud), while the traditional printer and PC business will have to stand on its own two feet by the end of the year.

Antivirus behemoth Symantec followed HP's lead with plans to shave about 10 percent of its workforce this year as the company regroups into two entities, focused on security and storage, respectively.

Cars make the connection

What a difference a few years make: Connected automobiles are expected to steal the show from smartphones, video game consoles and other gadgets during this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off in Las Vegas next week.

Back in 2007, Ford paved the way after teaming with Microsoft to develop the in-car infotainment system Sync. Tech pundits and attendees at the time were left scratching their heads wondering what the fuss was all about, but last year the picture became clearer as Apple and Google announced their own intentions to put CarPlay and Android Auto into the dashboards of new automobiles.

The Consumer Electronics Association (via Bloomberg) is forecasting that factory-installed auto tech could become an $11.3 billion (about UK£7.28B, AU$13.89B) business this year – and that's not counting wearable-based technology from the likes of BMW, who's working on a smartwatch capable of parking your car with nothing more than a voice command.

Google's self-driving car continues to roll ever closer to reality, although this year's focus will be about more realistic goals, such as equipping new vehicles with affordable 4G LTE wireless to make all this connectivity more practical in the first place.

VR moves beyond games

Facebook made headlines last year for throwing $2.3 billion (about UK£1.48B, AU$2.83B) at virtual reality startup Oculus Rift, but 2015 is likely to be less about deal making and more about marketing as manufacturers give the technology more time to simmer.

Gaming and entertainment remains the most viable short-term options for VR, although companies will continue to refine its potential to replace traditional keyboard and mouse user interfaces on the computer as well.

Businesses may also find opportunities, however. Samsung recently predicted (via The Verge) the rise of "digital shops" this year, allowing retailers to circumvent high rent and inventory constraints for virtual reality customers.

With Sony also vying for a spot at the VR table, analysts are predicting (via Cantech Letter) the consumer market could rake in upwards of $7 billion (about UK£4.51B, AU$8.61B) by 2018, with the majority of that revenue not surprisingly coming from the software side of the equation.

Desktop OS wars

Microsoft has made no secret of plans to unify desktop Windows with its mobile counterpart, and those ambitions should come to fruition with the release of Windows 10. Early adopters have already been putting the Technical Preview through its paces for a few months now, although the united OS isn't expected for release until later in the year.

With an improved desktop experience and better multitasking, Windows 10 should take center stage at a media event on January 21, when Microsoft details some of the consumer-facing enhancements engineers have been cooking up in the labs.

Apple is also expected to continue its now-annual tradition of updating the Mac operating system, presumably by rolling out a new California-themed OS X 10.11 build for developers at the yearly Worldwide Developer Conference in June.

Cupertino will likely continue making the Mac and iOS platforms play well together despite keeping them as separate entities. Now that Apple's Touch ID is ubiquitous on iPhone and iPad, could an updated fingerprint-friendly trackpad (Magic Mouse or Trackpad for the latest iMac and Mac Pro) provide similar security for desktop Macs? We hope so.

We also wouldn't be surprised to see Apple make further overtures into enterprise with the Mac, perhaps in tandem with former archrival IBM. With iOS factored in, Apple operating systems are already expected to outsell Windows on the consumer side this year, even as devices running Google's Android continue to dwarf all three platforms worldwide.

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Download of the day: aTube Catcher

A free video downloader and converter, aTube Catcher gives you a powerful platform to manage videos and take them with you wherever you go.

Why you need it

Six billion hours of video are watched every month on YouTube, so it's probably fair to say we're a little obsessed with online video. But if you want to transfer your favourite videos to your device, watch offline or convert them to different formats, you need aTube Catcher.

This handy tool lets you download videos from the world's most popular video websites, then convert them to a range of formats – ideal for when you're travelling to areas with patchy internet reception but still want to tune in. In fact, there are so many conversion options available (including AVI, FLV, MOV, WMV, MPG, MP4, PSP, 3GP and more) that you should be able to play your videos on pretty much any device.

You can also burn videos to DVDs ready for TV viewing, while there's a screen recorder for when you want to keep a record of video conferences and group calls. There's tons on offer with aTube Catcher, so give it a go for free.

Key features

• Works on: PC, Linux (with additional software)


• Versions: Free


• Download: Grab videos from some of the world's most popular websites, including YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe and MySpace


• Convert: aTube Catcher gives you numerous choices when it comes to converting video, so your files should work on most devices


• Record: There's a useful screen recorder function, which can help you keep a copy of video conferences should you need them later

You'll also like

• Free Studio


• Free YouTube Download


• Any Video Converter


• Total Commander


• Avidemux

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Downloads: The five best apps for speeding up your PC

If your PC is slowing down, it might be time for a new machine; or you might just need to clear out the clutter. Tuning up your system, clearing out software you don't use and making sure you're not running programs you don't need in the background can make a big difference to performance.

What's more, cleaning up your system like this is better than running tweaking tools that promise improvements but can end up disabling system features you need for Windows to work properly.

1. Autoruns

The Windows Task Manager shows you what programs are running automatically when you turn on your PC, and even how much they slow you down. But if you really want to dig into what's starting up when the system boots, what runs when you log in and why it's running, get Autoruns.

You can see if what's running is coming from the registry, your startup folder or some unexpected location and whether it's a toolbar, a service, a browser helper object, a shell extension in Explorer or an actual program you want to run. You can check your own account or all the accounts on the system, and you can stop programs running just by clearing a checkbox.

2. PC Decrapifier

The number one thing slowing down your PC is likely to be the pre-installed software that came with it. Sometimes you get useful software like Adobe Photoshop Elements, but you can also find your PC is running other tools automatically. What you need in this case is PC Decrapifier.

Utilities that provide a secondary desktop interface or integrate with cloud services can be handy, but if you don't need them they'll just slow things down, plus you may find tools that look for updates or nag you to register your PC. PC Decrapifier is a reliable way of finding and removing software that came with your PC; it can also remove other software you no longer need.

3. WinDirStat

If your hard drive fills up (which happens more quickly on devices with small SSDs), Windows doesn't have as much space for the virtual memory it uses to keep your software running fast. You can run the built-in Disk Cleanup wizard to get rid of old system files cluttering up the system, but the best way to find out what's really taking up space is a tool like WinDirStat.

It runs in under a minute and shows a visual map of your drive, colour-coded by file type; bigger files take up more space on screen, so you can instantly see if it's Windows that's bloated or if you're using up all your disk space on photos and music.

4. Revo Uninstaller Free

If you need to clean up a PC with a lot of old software on, give Revo Uninstaller a try (and it's worth paying for the full version if you want even more power). The standard Windows Uninstaller does a reasonable job but badly behaved programs can leave a lot of cruft behind on your PC. Revo Uninstaller digs into the registry to make sure they're gone. It can even remove programs when their uninstall tool isn't working (or you've accidentally deleted it).

It's not as fast as we'd like it to be and you will often have to go through both the Revo interface and the uninstaller interface for the software you're removing, but it's certainly thorough, so sit back with a cup of tea and let it work its magic.

5. Microsoft Security Essentials

There are plenty of antivirus tools to choose from, but the big name options that are packed with extra features can also slow your system down significantly. If you have a recent version of Windows, it comes with Microsoft Defender built in, but you can download the same software as Microsoft Security Essentials for earlier releases of Windows and get real-time protection against malware and regular scanning.

This is a particularly helpful download if you're trying to tune up PCs for friends and relatives; it will find malware that might be slowing their system down and keep them protected without overloading their system when they're busy.

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Wearables in 2014: how did tech's new suit fit?

Q1

So 2014, we were told by anyone with a Tumblr and a passing interest in tech, was going to be the year of the wearable. Technology hanging from some part of our bodies, sensing, syncing and liaising with phones, laptops and cloud services would be more ubiquitous than Will.i.am - who needless to say, now has his own line of wearables pending.

In truth, it hasn't been that breakthrough annus, it's been more like 12 months of phoney war, where wearables have gathered their forces and gone mainstream in certain areas (fitness and, er, well fitness), with specialists such as Withings and Fitbit plus big boys including Google, Motorola, Asus, Sony and Samsung, all launching able and compelling, if compromised, devices.

But we say this with confidence: with Apple set to dive in, the "steady" growth in Android Wear apps, high fashion and high street brands looking for a slice of the wearable cake, 2015 will REALLY be the year of the wearable.

Here's how 2014 set that up…

January

CES 2014 was all a-twitter about wearable tech with companies big and small raising their wearables flag and saluting. Gaming PC chaps Razer announced the Nabu fitness band, which finally went on sale in December.

Pebble grew up a bit with their "Steel" smartwatch which would pair as well with a suit as a free gaming T-shirt. The approach the firm has taken, forging an early path for smart watches, sticking to e-ink to give longer battery life, and remaining OS agnostic, is laudable. Although quite why they let their "Brand Evangelist" go over this less than contentious or revealing interview is beyond us...

MetaWatch (formed from ex-Fossil engineers and a Vertu designer) showed off their premium smartwatch, Garmin its Vivofit fitness tracker and LG its Lifeband Touch.

In focus: wearables in vogue

Intel announced it would be mostly up a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G the fashion industry. Specifically, with a raft of partnerships starting with menswear store Barney's and finishing the year with MICA – 'my intelligent communication accessory' – an haute couture bracelet in snake skin and pearls with social networking, SMS and email notifications.

This year saw fashion make semi-serious forays into the wearables market - or was it the other way around? New York-based fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg made some really quite pleasing versions of Google Glass, with Oakley and Ray-Ban also taking Google's bitcoins. Ex-Gap and Coach executive Ivy Ross joined the search giants in May to make their tech more fashionable. That's a work in progress – we'll return to this in June.

Market leader Fitbit partnered with designer Tory Burch to encase their Flex tracker into an allegedly lady-pleasing bracelet. We weren't knocked out by the results, but they sold out and can now be found on eBay at inflated prices, so what do we know?

February

Virgin Atlantic trial a meet 'n' greet with First Class passengers using Google Glass, presumably putting info up about each passenger such as "Owns house in Worcester" and "Notoriously picky about how his peanuts are served." Or maybe it was just constantly putting messages in the air crew's eyeline such as, "Keep smiling or you're fired!" and "Be more obsequious!"

We may never know.

HTC join the fray, planning a wearable device by Christmas (we're still waiting for that one). The creepy Narrative Clip is launched, a wearable brooch-like device which takes pictures every 30 seconds.

March

Google launches its watch OS Android Wear with the handsome Moto 360 smartwatch. Intel acquires San Francisco start Basis Science. They specialise in health tracking services and devices, natch. Because, for all the chatter about wearables' limitless possibilities, you have to say that most of the actual "things" released so far are fitness and health trackers.

Panasonic launch a wearable 4K camcorder that looks like it was designed by Tomy and manufactured by ten-year-olds. But hey! Wearables is a broad church. Come one, come all. That's what we say. At least it's not a fitness tracker.

In focus: Facebook bets (a bit of) the house on VR

On March 25 fresh-faced Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg publishes an open letter on his wee site to announce the purchase of Oculus VR, makers of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset – the deal is inked in for an astonishing $2bn in July. Formerly a successful startup focussing on virtual reality gaming, Zuckerberg intends to, "Make Oculus a platform for many other experiences."

But while we should expect Oculus some time next summer, Sony's commitment to VR appears to be stuttering with their "Project Morpheus" PS4 headset still a way away. At a December press event, PlayStation Europe boss Jim Ryan describes it as, "Still an R&D project." Samsung then surprise everyone by being first to the market in December with their Gear VR. Hey, in the eatables game, if you snooze, you lose…

Q2

April

Bad news! Nike fires majority of their FuelBand team, shuttering the product indefinitely. This was an interesting development, as many in the tech press and beyond saw FuelBand as pre-eminent in the fitness band field. This is largely because Nike marketed FuelBand pretty specifically at men - unlike Fitbit which is asexual, shading into feminine - and most tech journalists are men. I know I am.

To use a farming analogy, Nike will instead henceforth hitch its "wagon" (largely the strength of its brand plus accumulated fitness software nous) to sturdier "tractors" (hardware) made by proper "tractor manufacturers" (tech companies, notably Apple). Got that?

Good news! Amazon launches a dedicated wearable store. Oh, and LeapFrog debuts a fitness tracker for children. Why should adults have all the fun of being hectored about how many steps they've taken in a 24-hour period? Children now take computers, touchscreens and always-on connectivity for granted. Get them used to wearables and this is a market sector with legs. Increasingly fit and sturdy legs, at that.

May

Apple announce the hire Divya Nag, part of a swathe of health tech industry hires. Samsung launch SimBand, a modular reference platform for wearable health sensors. Although 2014's focus is on fitness, more generalised health and (ugh) "wellness" may well end up as a bigger market for wearables in the long run.

In focus: Garmin want to run off with the fitness crown

May was a busy month for Garmin, tipping a toe in the causal fitness band market with the excellent Vivofit, and launching the Forerunner 15, with which they aimed to annex an even bigger slice of the serious fitness aficionados. It's a GPS-toting smartwatch, adding distance, pace, calories and (when a monitor is paired) heart rate. They followed this up in October with the higher end, waterproof, altimeter-packing, GPS-tracking Forerunner 920XT.

By adding heart-rate monitoring to the watch itself rather than requiring a strap-on, TomTom and others have fought back over the course of 2014. Even so, for the serious jogger, there's still been really only one brand to look up in 2014 and that's Garmin.

In focus: LG step up

Enter the Koreans stage left with the LifeBand – a Nike FuelBand-like tracker, only very pretty and with smartwatch features – and Heart Rate Earphones: pulse sensing in-ear cans which play nicely together. Reviews found the LifeBand too "me too", and the Earphones failed to make a splash.

LG also had a stab at Android Wear, with the square G Watch and round-raced G Watch R, with the former turning reviewers cold, but the latter raising a pleased eyebrow from our John McCann. LG, however, is traditionally a fast learner, and will come back next year with better, smarter offerings.

June

Acer launches its Liquid Leap smartband, while Barclaycard launch the astonishingly ugly bPay contactless pay wristband for summer events.

In focus: Google Glass stumbles

It finally went on sale in the UK on June 23 for £1,000 although still officially described as a beta product, but it's hardly been a sterling year for the internet specs. Witness the departure of three key executives, including its "architect" Babak Parviz tootling off to Amazon, a Reuters survey suggesting that nine of the product's 16 biggest app suppliers (including Twitter) have stopped working on the platform due to lack of interest and relatively low sales and US support "Basecamps" closing down.

Bars in San Francisco have banned Glass after assaults on wearers and the ban hammer falls also on cars, cinemas, casinos, hospitals and banks in the US. Regardless, Google is reportedly working on a version 2.0, with chips supplied by Intel and a more flexible platform promised.

Q3

July

LG announced KiZON for kids that's essentially a criminal's ankle tag for tiny wrists. Popular fitness app maker Runtastic launch their Orbit wearable and HP announce collaboration with designer Michael Bastian to make the achingly fashionable Chronowing smartwatch.

August

The Sproutling baby tracker is launched. The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and Intel trial a wearable that analyses patient data in real time. Google's LIftware spoon, which analyses and counteracts the shakes suffered by Parkinson's patients, provides further potential tech relief.

Ralph Lauren launches "Polo Tech" wearable apparel at the US Open. This collects biometric data during sports activity and is used on this occasion to track the health of some of the bellboys and girls.

September

Adidas' FitSmart goes on sale, Samsung announce their Gear VR virtual reality headset, developed in conjunction with Oculus, the Moto 360 hits shops and Misfit Wearables launch the £50 Flash activity tracker.

In focus: Apple finally "launch" their Watch

The clever "crown" was greeted by the sound of palms meeting faces across all rival smartwatch manufacturers, but commentators were otherwise left nonplussed by the safe design amidst an outpouring of general "what's it for?" ennui.

But no matter, Apple reportedly aim to sell 40 million of these pieces in 2015. What are the chances of that?

Now on the one hand, there are millions of compatible iPhones in circulation to ping notifications to, send your heartbeat to and finger scribble messages with, so that seems like a plausible target.

On the other hand, 40 million eclipses the first year of sales of the iPad by 100%, so that seems like an implausible target. Hmm.

As with smartphones, success for both Watch and its well established Android rivals (not forgetting Pebble) could come down to the apps they carry, with devs in their hundreds currently beavering away on both Watch and Wear software, hoping to conclusively answer the aforementioned, "what's it for?" question. But if the software jockeys don't pull that off, will convenient notifications and step counting alone be enough to secure billions in profits for smartwatch-smiths? We seriously doubt it.

Q4 and 2015

October

Dead-eyed, wackily tailored Black Eyes Peas frontman Will.i.am launches his Puls wearable and Nike pop their head above the parapet again, announcing a collaboration with Apple for their Watch. Of course.

In focus: Microsoft

The Windows and Xbox people surprised many by not only announcing their entry into the wearables market with their Band – a fitness wearable, unsurprisingly – but also by chucking it on sale online just days later. Working with the company's own, proprietary Health app, it compiles data from 10 sensors, including a GPS tracker, heart-rate monitor which can calorie count and sleep track, and it's also a pared down smartwatch, pinging notifications of calls, texts, emails and appointments. And it's almost half the price of the entry level Apple Watch. Critics – and customers – however, weren't so easily convinced.

In focus: Fitbit stretch their lead

The market leaders in wearables racked up another strong year, with October seeing the launch of their first smartwatch, the pretty and able Surge. This was alongside the Charge smartband, replacing the ill-fated Force, with none of its skin allergy issues and finally the Charge HR with added heartbeat sensor. The Surge – with GPS, heart rate monitor and step counter, plus caller ID and music control via the touchscreen – positions Fitbit alongside Garmin and chums in the serious fitness tracker space, and should certainly be causing them some concern when it debuts early next year for £199.

November

The Michael Bastian Chronowing goes on sale on online store Gilt, Nixie's wearable camera drone for rock climbers' wrists wins Intel's "Make It Wearable" competition. Smartwatch pioneer Sony's first Android Wear wristable, the SmartWatch 3 hits shops.

In focus: Jawbone's pretty fitness bands go next gen

Jawbone have been making largely excellent fitness trackers since 2011, and they look to be moving the goalposts again with their upgraded "UP" device, the £149 UP3. Packing a tri-axis accelerometer and bioimpedance sensors, as well as skin and ambient temperature sensors and a best-in-class sleep monitor, it's stuffed with more surveillance tech than the CIA. Plus, with anodized aluminium framework and textured rubber, it looks boss and – look away now, Apple, Motorola, Samsung – it'll reportedly run for a week on a single juice. Sadly, manufacturing issues have meant that Santa won't be leaving the UP3 under any trees this year.

December

Withings win hearts across the board with their Activité high end smartwatch, Sony crowdfunds an e-paper face and strapped watch, Microsoft promote a smart bra to combat overeating, Asus's Zenwatch hits the market and after describing the Apple Watch as having, "No sex appeal," and, "designed by a student in their first trimester," luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer announce plans to get into the smartwatch market in 2015.

In focus: Samsung start the virtual reality age

On sale in America right now and using proprietary tech from Oculus Rift, Samsung have kicked off the virtual reality age with their Gear VR. Requiring a separate Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to work, it's simple, effective and compelling. It just works. Supporting games are plentiful but throwaway, being mostly five-minute experience Android fare, and you get bundled random content like exploring a Mars vista, the bottom of the ocean and major cities, even a few spots in Chernobyl. Also there are some 360˚ videos that take you over New Zealand and New York City. It's utterly awesome, for about an hour, but is a terrific kick start to the virtual reality age. And Samsung got there first. The Gear VR, remember, also sits alongside the Gear S, Gear Circle, Gear 2 and Gear Fit as Samsung's wearable line-up, (whisper it: none of which are setting the sales world on fire).

And in 2015…

It's hard to see past Apple's "spring" launch of the Watch, which is genuinely going to find out if consumers really have an appetite for smartwatches. HTC will enter the market with something, and Android Wear will hope to match the Watch for share in an expanded and energised market.

Battery technology isn't going to magically catch up, so charge-pack makers are going to be rubbing their hands more vigorously than ever. Expect to also see an increase in battery packs in belts, bags and clothing. Wearable solutions for wearable problems…

Although bands and watches will remain the headline products, if wearables are to truly dominate in the new year, brands are going to have to look at other parts of our bodies. Either that or we'll have to start growing more arms…

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