Sometimes a technology comes along and changes the way we live forever. It often starts quietly. The tech might have to pass through a few iterations before its value becomes clear. The first cars needed three operators, including one to walk in front of the vehicle while waving a red flag. Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM, might not have actually put the total demand for computers at five, but an early model made by his company picked up just eleven pre-orders. It cost between $12,000 and $18,000 a month to rent.

So some of the technology that you’re ignoring today could well turn out to be stuff you can’t live without tomorrow. Here are five technologies you need to watch.

Read more at Inc.