There was a haze of detox in Search Star HQ as we returned from our Christmas break. Gone are the endless selection packs and mince pies and the fridge is stuffed with all manner of healthy concoctions. By 11am this morning, Mike had demolished his second bowl of bean sprouts. Nope, the rest of us don't understand the virtues of bean sprouts for breakfast and elevenses either.We made some bold(ish) predictions late last year about what 2015 might hold for paid digital media, while we've yet to see whether any of them pan out as anticipated, we've also taken a wider look at the most recent predictions for the year ahead. Death of Digital"I believe 2015 will be the year that the word digital dies in our professional lives." Dave Coplin, chief envisioning officer, MicrosoftIgnoring his crazy job title, Coplin may have a point. Using 'digital' to highlight the changing world was useful when it was new, however it's so ingrained in all of our lives, personally and professionally, that its use is becoming superfluous. Year of the Wearables?Opinion is split here. But the general consensus is, not yet.While there is still an enthusiastic air around wearables, for the time being their use is limited to symbolism of status (and telling the time) rather than transforming our lives in the way smartphones did. We won't be adding a wearables segment to our Analytics reports any time soon. Oh, and glasses are most definitely out, for now. Smarter Smartphones"Already, phones are getting better at predicting what information you might need, or what actions you might want it to perform." Tom Standage, digital editor, The EconomistNo surprises here, but our phones will become even more helpful/creepy as the year progresses. Will the masses roll with the changes, or revolt against every more invasion of their privacy? Mobile MoneyApple Pay was launched in the US last year and the European launch won't be far behind. Giving further credence to the smarter smartphone prediction above, we'll be handing more of our data over to Apple, and no doubt other entities, as we begin to use our mobiles as payment devices. Not to mention opportunity for tailored in-store advertising via our phones. Sneaking Back to the Future Lastly, there's a rumoured release date for Nike Mag trainers - first seen in Back to the Future II! When they gazed into their crystal ball 30 years ago, the Back to the Future execs saw hoverboards, video glasses, flying cars and self lacing trainers. After a limited release in 2011, Nike has promised to release Nike Mag's again this year!
