9 Reasons to Be Optimistic in 2015

2014, you were great (seriously: we landed on a comet). But onward and upward. Behold, our 9 Reasons to Be Optimistic in 2015. Get pumped.

9. Movies are going to get crazy good. Emphasis on crazy.
Quick predictions, based on trailers: best spy flick (Kingsman: The Secret Service), best sequel (Mad Max: Fury Road), best South African robot comedy-drama starring rappers Die Antwoord (Chappie).

8. It’s easier to make money (and yet play nice)
Robinhood is zero-commission stock trading. The soon-to-launch investment app Aspiration is pay what you want, with 10% of that money going to charity.

7. The Women’s World Cup
Tim Howard aside, this year’s World Cup was a disappointment for U.S. fans (a buzzy, lunchtime-drinking disappointment, but still). The women’s Cup, however: it’s on North American soil, highly competitive and fielding an American team that’s pretty damn good. Starts June 6th.

6. Good drinking is an app away
Pretty much any booze you want is a click away, whether it’s Drizly or Minibar (for local deliveries), or Ezra’s, Merchants of Beverage or Mouth for nationwide action — all recently launched services that curate cocktail kits and indie spirits … and send ‘em to you right quick.

5. Virtual reality sees the light
No firm dates yet, but beta versions of Samsung VR sets and Oculus Rift are out, a Microsoft iteration may debut at CES in January, and a lot of rumors point to late 2015 for consumer versions of all three.

4. Hola, Cuba
Marco Rubio aside, pretty much everyone thinks ending the Cuba embargo is a good thing. Travel and trade will take a bit to change, but Havana trips and Cuban cigars might be a (non-forbidden) reality sooner than later.

3. The year certainly looks good
Have you seen the (slightly NSFW) 2015 Pirelli calendar? How about Miss Reef 2015? Every month is a winner.

2. Last year we landed on a comet …
This year, the NASA probe New Horizons (launched in 2006) explores Pluto, and a robotic spacecraft goes into orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. We’re this much closer to becoming an Arthur C. Clarke novel.

1. Imagine something, and somebody’s building it
We listed our favorite Kickstarter projects of 2014 the other day. Between KS, Indiegogo and Prefundia, as well as the editorial purview of Product Hunt, StrictlyVC and BetaList, it’s hard not to imagine anything being possible. You know, like meat soap.