In 2014, breakthrough tech design and innovation will blossom in every realm, as laid out by predictions from tech gurus and the nature of the changing space. But the biggest trends of the year are based on advancements made in 2013. And like the rise of any generation, the past has indefinitely informed the present.

Anonymity will take center stage in 2014, with social networks rapidly changing to keep up with the need for an anonymous digital experience, as will drones. The miniature flying crafts, though not particularly “new”, will become more common than ever before, used to deliver goods instead of intelligence. And though it feels like a step back in time, disconnecting will be on the rise in 2014, with trains, planes, automobiles, back-to-nature resorts and vacation spots promoting the opportunity for typically plug-in users to be web-free and “beyond reach.”

WeChat, with more than 300 million users, will unseat Facebook, Twitter, PayPal and Tumblr alike. With instant messaging, group chat options, content sharing, payments and e-commerce offerings, the Chinese-based mobile Internet platform will be the new mobile world ruler. Companies will also bring mind-control technologies within reach, as they look toward experience that harness electrical signals emitted from the brain.

Technological tools will help us augment the human experience with wearable technologies, system-powered exoskeletons as well as bionic arms, feet and eyes. Self-driving cars will also help to extend the technological arm of the human experience. Smart technology will move beyond just practical uses, to explore more and more artistic, subjective scenarios. And to ensure that these technologies become smarter, rich, descriptive data will also grow and develop.

Other notable changes in technology taking place in 2014? Consumers spending more money than ever before on premium, outstanding and aspirational designs, so long as the products are rife with top-of-the-line user experiences.

Most notably, Uber, the San Fran startup that’s singlehandedly transformed personal transportation, will become less and less of a novel idea, as the on-demand model permeates the personal services industry.