The future is here and tech is driving it. Till not so long ago, eye-in-the-sky (surveillance satellites), drones and nifty taxi aggregators were the stuff of science fiction, warfare and wishful thinking. Or James Bond movies. Now they are a part of life. From hyperlocal to virtual reality. From, literally, building blocks (nifty methods of cement processing for quicker construction) to apps that promise you a home, a spouse and dhobi services. In the Internet of Things, innovation, disruptors and technology mesh to prove that Arthur C. Clarke, Hugo Gernsback, William Gibson and John Brunner had a remarkable eye for the future.

We bring you a quirky sampling of technology's offspring, around the world and closer home.

WEARABLE TECH: Self-lacing shoes from Nike. Sensoria has smart socks with textile pressure sensors that tell you how fast you run and how well, and a sports bra with a heart rate monitor. And then there is the cellphone-WiFi radiation-blocking Spartan Boxer Briefs that debuted at a wearable tech show in London this year. Wearable technology, biometric sensor garments and smart fabric are becoming wardrobe essentials overseas. And for the baby, there is Owlet - a smart sock that measures oxygen to alert parents if their baby has stopped breathing.

HOUSING APPS: You don't have to look far. ZiffyHomes that finds accommodation for singletons is a much-needed service given the bachelorhood phobia that home owners harbour. Currently it is available for the Delhi-NCR region, with plans for other metros. Nobroker.com is a self-explanatory app that offers a rental platform sans brokerage. (Another job bites the dust.) Getsethome.com is a platform for shared accommodation for working professionals. Once you are in, you might worry about laundry. Tap into a dhobistore.com!

VIRTUAL REALITY: That's where the big daddies of futuristics take over the world. First MindMaze, the start-up company of Hyderabad-born Switzerland-based neuroscientist Tej Tadi, launched MindLeap. It's a neurogoggles that combines VR technologies for stroke victims by using neural sensing and gaming techniques where patients can control VR with their minds. The Wall Street Daily described it as "the first thought-powered VR system. (That's) right. No need for controllers. Just think it, and it'll be done on screen". MindMaze, founded in 2011, is now valued at over $1 billion and this year sold under a third of its stake to the Hinduja group.

From mind to magic, the leap gets even bigger. Magic Leap is an American start-up company that was launched in 2010. Working guardedly on "a proprietary wearable technology that will enable humans to interact with digital devices in a completely visually cinematic way", Magic Leap's marketing officer described it thus to the consumer technology website CNET: "Magic Leap is not VR. VR is focused right now narrowly on gaming and is not portable. Our Mixed Reality Lightfield is portable and has many multiple applications - including gaming - that are considerably broader." He added, "These applications can be applied both inside and outside the home and office." The Google-backed project released a video game showing virtual robots in the wearer's real-world environment, instead of a VR or digital environment.

FOOD: DietSensor, a French company offers SCiO, a handy scanner that can fit on a keychain, which measures the nutritional value of food by scanning its chemical components. Then there is the 6SensorLabs' Nima, which measures the gluten quotient in food by just touching it. Helpful for those with allergies and/or coeliac disease.

REGULAR TURNS SMART: Everyday objects get tech-ed up. There is a sleek showerhead that flashes red when you use too much water. The Hydrao Smart Shower fits any standard showerhead. It is a Bluetooth LE device that works with Android and IOS apps and sets off alerts depending on water usage. What's even more eco-friendly is the tiny turbine which uses the water running through the showerhead to generate power for the lights and Bluetooth connectivity.

Then there is the nifty Oombrella. For all those forgetful people who are constantly losing their chhaata, this one is both cute and smart. A crowd-sourced project by a French design studio that manufactures Oombrella with a built-in app and sensors for weather forecasts - it is going to rain in 15 minutes! - and syncs with your phone to send you a message if you stray too far from it. An owner can customise its appearance as well.

AUTO TECH: Last month, Google's self-driving car, a Lexus SUV, had its first accident in Mountain View, California. It ran into a municipal bus. However, the future is gearing up for driverless driving. Several European countries have started test runs for transport systems with robotic cars and driverless pods. Apart from Google, Daimler, Nissan, General Motors and BMW are also invested in developing driverless cars. Tesla is gearing up for 2018 when it hopes to launch its self-driving car in which a driver can fall asleep. Closer home, Bangalore-based techie, Roshy John, converted a Nano into an autonomous car. From the Nano, to the Merc. Three versions of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class are being tested for driverless cars in Nevada, which legally allows autonomous vehicle testing.

A sign of things to come.