Tech is evolving at a breakneck pace and next year it will be even hotter on the markets than it is now.

This year saw a massive growth and evolution in its technology trends, and when it comes to the direction that next year will take, it looks like things will be far from slowing down.

To keep up with the very latest, you’ll want to have a look at some of the hottest categories in tech.

Innovative companies such as Google, Apple, Alibaba, Tesla, and others made some of the top headlines in terms of news as well as for investing and trading. Next year, it is likely that these companies will stay at the forefront of the news, but will be joined by a number of newcomers, as well. Juniper Research released the top 10 technology trends to watch for next year. These could be defining in terms of shopping, investing, manufacturing, and several other industries.

The technology trends that are expected to be the most important in 2015 include the following:

1. Smartwatches improve – wearable technology will start to get better and smarter, particularly as companies pay more attention to aesthetics.
2. Securing data – mobile security has been causing serious problems, but until now, device users have remained relatively apathetic about the topic. This will change in 2015 as tech trends point more toward keeping data and privacy on mobile devices safer.
3. Near field communication (NFC) – this technology was supposed to be the “thing” this year, but it looks as though it will be 2015 in which it will actually take off.
4. Cryptocurrency becomes more common – this year brought a serious setback to Bitcoin, it looks as though this and other new and similar currencies will be exploding next year, especially now that PayPal has revealed that it has been testing acceptance by merchants.
5. Data rises beyond voice – wireless carriers will see more use of data plans and text messages than the usage for voice calls.
6. Drones – as popular as these machines are by governments and militaries, these airborne devices will now be used by civilians – consumers and business – much more broadly.
7. Digital fitness and health – pedometers, smartbands, fitness bands, and other similar devices to monitor factors such as heart rate, calorie burning, steps taken, sleep patterns, and others.
8. Geolocation – location based services will become more widespread as well as being more precise and accurate, particularly in terms of marketing. Bluetooth Low Energy will have a serious impact on this tech.
9. Affordable phablets go worldwide – as mobile shopping, gaming, and other activities become more popular, a larger screen also becomes necessary. Budget forms of these device will start to become more available throughout the world.
10. Indexing applications – these mobile apps make the apps on the web much easier to find.

It’s clear from many of these technology trends that mobile is going to play a vital role in several areas. Keeping devices charge is, therefore, also going to become a critical trend of its own, with portable power banks rising in popularity to the point of becoming nearly ubiquitous, next year.