A game using augmented reality.
2012 will be a very busy year in all things digital, but there will be just a handful of big, memorable trends. Here are five such movements that are likely to make a big impact in our technologically-enhanced lives.
Continue reading… “5 technology trends to watch in 2012”
Educational borrowing has grown far more quickly among those between 35 and 49.
According to a new analysis obtained by Reuters, middle-aged borrowers are piling up student debt faster than any other age group.
Continue reading… “Middle-aged racking up student debt faster than any other age group”
Today’s super-rich are different from yesterday’s: more hardworking and meritocratic, but less connected to the nations that granted them opportunity.
If you were watching television on the first Sunday morning in August last summer, you would have seen something curious on NBC. David Gregory, host of Meet the Press, was interviewing a guest who made a forceful case that the U.S. economy had become “very distorted.” In the wake of the recession, this guest explained, high-income individuals, large banks, and major corporations had experienced a “significant recovery”; the rest of the economy, by contrast—including small businesses and “a very significant amount of the labor force”—was stuck and still struggling. He argued that what we were seeing was not a single economy at all, but rather “fundamentally two separate types of economy,” increasingly distinct and divergent.
Continue reading… “The rise of the new super-rich”
Mom inventors growing trend.
Tamara Monosoff came up with an invention, eight years ago that she was sure mothers like herself would appreciate: a device that prevents children from unspooling toilet paper from the roll. But she had no idea how to transform the concept into a marketable product.
Continue reading… “Mompreneurs – if they can’t find it, they invent it”
In 1997, when “Seinfeld” first introduced “Festivus” to mainstream America, the writers of the show probably had no idea that 14 years later not only would it still be celebrated every Dec. 23, but that it would fit so well in an online world. In the online world “airing of the grievances” is pretty much a regular pastime. (video)
Continue reading… “Festivus thrives online 14 years later”
Americans added 10 new words to improve their vocabularies in 2011.
Take heart if you tried to improve your vocabulary in 2011. It was almost impossible to pay attention to the news this year without learning a new word or phrase, or perhaps learning new definitions for old standbys. Americans can celebrate the new knowledge they acquired in 2011 with a list of 10 words that entered the national lexicon or gained new significance over the last year.
Continue reading… “10 words Americans learned in 2011”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Understanding trends is more of an art form than an exact science. But for those who can read the tealeaves, and make bold moves, leveraging trends can give them a serious competitive advantage.
Continue reading… “28 Major Trends for 2012 and Beyond – Part 2”
27% of photos and videos taken this year were shot with smartphones.
Film is already passe for snapshots. Are basic digital point-and-shoot cameras next to go?
Continue reading… “Basic digital camera sales fall as smartphones fill the niche”
Muppets
Chris Anderson, a director of Omnicom Group’s marketing agency The Marketing Arm says, “In times of uncertainty, we tend look back. We long for seemingly simpler times. From music to motorcars to Muppets, we seek out products and brands that we’re familiar with.”
Continue reading… “10 brands that could make a comeback in 2012”
Tweets can be seen as a reflection of an individual’s mood of the moment — as opposed to “a longer-term reflective evaluation” of the person’s life.
Happiness around the world is declining. How do we know? It’s on Twitter.
Continue reading… “Tweets show happiness around the world down”
This was the year of big data. Data graphics continue to thrive and designers are putting more thought into what the data are about, and that’s a very good thing.
Continue reading… “15 of the best data visualization projects of 2011”
Changing tables are convenient for changing a baby or, apparently, snorting a line.
Those baby changing stations found in public bathrooms often look a little suspect when it comes to cleanliness. But of all the things you might imagine would be mucking up the surface, probably cocaine didn’t cross your mind.
Continue reading… “Cocaine on 9 in 10 baby changing stations in the UK”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.