It was 1989 when Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) brought us to a world we all wanted to explore, with its hoverboards, quick-drying, quick-fitting clothes and other cool inventions that didn't seem preposterous at the time.

Hell if a 1980s sports car, the DeLorean DMC-12 to be precise, could take Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) back in time why couldn't 2015 look like a cross between an '80s nightclub and a Star Trek set?

It also seemed so far away.

But now that date – October 21, 2015 – is almost here. 

1. Hoverboards. It may not do exactly what Back to the Future II envisioned but it is still damn cool, though not widely available for sale just yet, with a price tag of $11,500. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk took a Hendo Hoverboard out for a test ride and managed to float about 2.5 centimetres off the ground. The only catch was that he had to keep it on a specially designed metal surface since it used electromagnetic fields in opposition with one another to float. Yet company chief executive Greg "Hendo" Henderson says the technology has world-changing potential that "will change the way we view transportation". Here's hoping since hovercars are high on fans' wishlists.

2. Video calls. Phoning someone you can see in the flesh has never been that far-fetched and has appeared in countless futuristic movies. Now, thanks to Skype and the emergence of Facetime on smart phones, video calls have become a part of the norm. The downside to the technology is being caught on an off-looking day, so it hasn't replaced a simple phone call just yet, or the highly popular text message, but if another of Back to the Future II's predictions about cosmetic surgery comes true, it may be impossible for any of us to look bad ever again. We're also experimenting with Google Glass, which is effectively a computer in an eye lens; through Google hangout it acts similarly to when Back to the Future II's Marlene McFly answers a call with her eyeglass phone.

3. Biometrics. Iris-identification technology (similar to that seen in the movie) is already in use. Currently, iris scanning for identity verification has been adopted by several government agencies and major companies, like at airports where it allows passengers to cross the border without having to produce a passport. Apple is reportedly investigating its use in the consumer market, having already introduced fingerprint technology as an access to its smartphones.

4. Large-screen wall displays. When it comes to television, bigger is always better and bringing a cinema into the home seems a reasonable agenda to have. So it is little wonder that TV technology has been working towards making this dream a simple reality, from the now-outdated projectors to flat screens, be it plasma or LCD, and now Smart TVs. Marty McFly would be proud.

5. Drones. It may take you a second to think where drones appeared in the movie, since they most often get depicted as fighting machines in sci-fi movies, but it is when bully Griff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and his gang get arrested after crashing into the courthouse: a USA Today drone is there taking a picture for the newspaper. Drones like these already exist and have been gaining in popularity in recent years in America. A group called Professional Society of Drone Journalists exists and remote-controlled helicopter drones used for aerial photography are incredibly affordable with starting prices of only $400.

6. Food hydrator. An argument can be made that microwaves to some degree already do this and dehydrated food is widely available. But we have yet to experience acoaster-size disc of pizza inserted into a Black & Decker Food Hydrator (used in the movie) to produce a large, delectable, hot pizza that is enjoyable. While rehydrating technology exists, the degradation  to food quality is still a problem, one that only the likes of molecular gastronomists like Heston Blumenthal could solve. For now dehydrated foods remain the stuff of dedicated hikers, where food is a necessity rather than a pleasure.

1. Flying cars. Without a solution to the energy fuels crisis we still face, the idea of jet propelling cars so they act as miniature planes has yet to take hold, and imagine the road toll! Let's face it they would be a hindrance not a solution.

2. Home fusion energy reactors. Speaking of power sources, generating perpetual energy via nuclear fusion in a handy portable device is the holy grail of energy solutions, according to scientists. Unfortunately, nuclear has gained a bad rap of late with Japan's Fukushima power plant meltdown still etched into everyone's psyche. The idea of nuclear in the home using everyday cold fusion technology is a long way off and not very saleable.

3. Cosmetic rejuvenation using organ replacement. Although Doc uses a rejuvenation face mask, a basic type of which is popularly used by women the world over (just not with the same extraordinary effects), it's the comments about him having his spleen and colon replaced that are out of sync with our era. Although cosmetic surgery and improving body image is a huge obsession nowadays, medicine has yet to approve recreational organ transplants in the hope of staying younger and are unlikely to given the huge number of life-saving surgeries and lack of organs in existence. While alternatives using bionic materials are in practice, such as in eyes and ears, it would be impossible for Biff to get upset about his seemingly superficial bionic implants "short circuiting".

4. The fashion. Although creating a spin on '80s fashion is currently taking off, self-lacing shoes and self-sizing clothes have not been developed. Even though Marty's hightops were made by Nike, which still dominates fitness footwear and can be described as fashion-forward, the film's prototype shoes have yet to appear on the market. In 2008, Nike made the "Hyperdunks", which were styled after Back to the Future II. The only fabric development that does fit in with the movie is when Marty's clothes self-dry after he falls off the hoverboard into water. While none of our jackets say "Drying mode on. Jacket drying" and start a set of blowers, we do have smart materials that are already self-drying.

5. Fax machines and phone booths. While the movie managed to predict some fairly developed technology, there was still an overemphasis on 1980s-based technology like the fax machine and public phone boxes. You'd be hard pressed to find today a public telephone due to the number of mobiles around and fax machines form part of office printers and scanners.

6. Abolition of lawyers. It may say something about our society but the number of those joining the legal fraternity does not appear to be slowing, and with the increase in laws being introduced it doesn't look like it ever will. Still it all gave us a chuckle to hear Doc tell Marty: "The justice system works swiftly in the future now that they've abolished all lawyers."

7. By-the-second weather forecasting. Although the internet is a great provider of up-to-date reports, on the subject of weather and its predictions they are still fallible. Great efforts are being put into improving the measurements of weather movements, but we're hardly likely to hear Doc during a downpour say, "Wait five more seconds!" and the rain stop on cue.

Are you planning on celebrating Back to the Future Day on October 21, 2015? Let us know how – call 6024 0595, comment below or find us on social media.