Chris Sanderson, futurologist and co-founder of trend forecasting consultancy The Future Laboratory, presents his top tech trends to make family lives...

Whether you're browsing Facebook on your mobile, sending a Tweet, Skyping someone on the other side of the world or using your supermarket loyalty card, IT is behind it all. IT is everywhere, but as our dependency on it grows, as does the opportunity for inefficiency.

Work - it's a fact we all need to face. It's an inevitable part of our lives that allows us to enjoy the finer things, such as holidays in the sun and fast cars. So if we have to work, then shouldn't it be as easy for us as possible?

If the phrase 'smart metering programme' means nothing to you, then it is time to get reading. This is your beginners guide and will take you from novice to being pretty well informed on the new government programme. Why is this important? The scheme is set to take off in 2014 and will be rolled out to every home and small business in the UK - you can't hide from it!

Climate change is one of those subjects that is awash with data, leading to an almost endless capacity for analysis and ultimately conclusion drawing.

Regulatory pressures, the need to improve efficiency and save money, and the promise of reputational gain have driven many large organisations to look at how they can measure and reduce carbon in their own business.