I continue to be amazed by 3D printing. The latest printers are now being retailed at below $250. While this is only a toy, in reality it proves the point that new technologies still exist and abound. Amazon in the US, for example, has launched a new service where you can customise jewellery and small items utilising 3D printing. Where is this going next?

And how about scanning technology that enables a user to scan a food item, such as a piece of fruit, and the software will determine the number of calories, fat percentage, cholesterol level, salt content and all of the other usual measures which we are seeing on food packs today. The scanner is the size of a penknife and is entirely portable. Remind you of anything? Star Trek Tricoder maybe?

The advent of all of this new tech adds millions of possibilities to our future lives but it will be the innovators that come up with usable technology that will be the most popular and prolific.

Waiting for the iPhone 6? Well, the latest technologies are already employed in other devices and the clever marketing machine at Apple is working its magic again. Undoubtedly, the ’6’ will be an advance on the ’5’ but what will it do? It should clearly have a better screen, and no doubt the processor will be quicker.

What about the iWatch, will that be launched any time soon? There are many other alternatives on the market now. Devices that will read all of your vital statistics from foot temperature to complete body temperature. As a diabetic, I am now seeing monitors that work wirelessly with insulin pumps to ensure the correct dosage is administered. A small add-on to your iPhone now measures your blood sugar level.

I was at a demonstration recently of some new checkouts. A carousel replaced the aged checkout lane, which means up to three people can be served almost simultaneously.

The food items placed on the belt pass through an arch, which scans the items using the latest photocell technology combined with weight and package information to compile your shopping bill. Speed and accuracy seem to be the prime advantages as well as the fact that one operator can work many tills. Tesco and Asda are already trialling the technology from Datalogic, so watch this space...

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