8 Amazing Emerging Technologies From 2011

Big-ticket product launches like the Galaxy Nexus and Kindle Fire got gobs of attention this year. But between the marquee product unveilings there were even better stories — telltale hints of what kind of tech might be in products five, 10 or 15 years out. The field of emerging technology let us sneak a peek at the wonders of the future.

It's just a potential future, of course. One with lots of promise, but a lot of things need to happen for a breakthrough in a lab to become a mainstream product. Quirks need to get ironed out, money needs to be spent, and early adopters need to buy it — among a host of other variables. If even a single one of them doesn't happen, it's kaput for any tech, no matter how good.

Let's hope that doesn't happen to much of the future technology glimpsed in 2011, because it's been a fantastic year for breakthroughs. From ultra-convenient wireless networks to superior batteries to gadgets you can bend, many of the emerging technologies from the past 12 months have the potential to change entire industries, if not the world.

We've culled from the long list of contenders to highlight our favorites from the most promising emerging tech of the past year. Besides sheer impressiveness, a truly bleeding-edge tech has to have at least some modicum of attainability, and one of the best qualities of some of the candidates on our list is that they use existing systems. No tech is so great that it's worth any cost.

Here are Mashable's picks for the top emerging technologies of 2011.

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