Paradigm New Media Group

2012Interactive TrendsAdvent Calendar

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01
Mobile Dominance

Let's just say, we want Gartner Research picking our Powerball numbers … Way, way back in 2010 they predicted that in 2013 mobile phones would overtake PCs as the most common Web access device in the world. Here we are, at 2013's doorstep, and we're seeing this prediction by "Gartnodamus" come true. Globally, 69% of all internet users are accessing the web daily via mobile devices - proof that optimizing your online communications for mobile is now a necessity.
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02
Twitter Trending

2012 was the year of history-making tweets. From a Presidential election that delivered the most popular tweet of all time, to athletes who experienced the agony of defeat at the London Olympics after tweets resulting in ejection from the games, to the life saving tweets sent from @FDNY as hurricane Sandy mercilessly pounded the eastern U.S. seaboard, Twitter is now unquestionably becoming a cultural news source and an integral part of shaping our world.
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03
Cinematography + Print = CinePrint™

Just when you thought print ads were losing altitude, they count down, pump up the jam and blast off with a new multimedia called, CinePrint. The technology developed by Lexus immerses you in a multi-sensory experience by combining traditional print and digital with an iPad. Downside: Only runs on an iPad. Upside: Dim the lights and imagine yourself cruising across town with a techno beat thumping in the stunning luxury vehicle you've always wanted. Check it out.
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04
Icon Design as High Art

Here's to thinking inside the box! With the continued growth of mobile apps, designers in 2012 perfected the art of designing app icons. This past year, creatives from all over the globe churned out incredibly unique and inventive designs, all while working within the strict confines of limited pixel space. Check out this amazing time-lapse video of an artist taking a simple sketch to a beautiful final product.
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05
Pinterest Secret Boards

Pinterest granted one big wish this year to all Pinatics: Secret Boards. Now you don't have to share your Star Wars PJ sets, your velvet Elvis paintings, favorite mock turtleneck, or your fantasy wedding to Leonardo DiCaprio with the rest of the world. Pinners are provided three secret boards that may only be seen by them. Unless you send us a special invite to see your hidden boards, your secret is safe with Pinterest.
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06
Infographic Explosion

2012 saw the proliferation of infographics to explain everything from social media, to politics, to energy consumption. This visual revolution began more than 30,000 years ago on the wall of a cave and still serves as a great way to make the non-obvious, well… obvious.
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07
Leap Motion

Though small (only the size of a flash drive), Leap is a big idea. This new technology allows you to control your computer with natural hand/finger gestures. Minutes after installation you're playing video games, scrolling through web pages, and even drawing without ever touching a mouse. Say goodbye to carpal tunnel syndrome as Leap ushers in a new era of nerds with highly defined deltoids, trapezoids, and latissimus dorsi.
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08
The "Internet of Things"

The "Internet of Things" is well on its way to turning cities and even cars (like this Ford concept car) into "living" organisms intended solely to make life easier. Now women everywhere can envision a future where their home toilet not only knows when their husband has left the seat up, but puts it down for him.
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09
Facebook IPO

The Facebook IPO this year led to some unwelcomed experiences for users now that FB has joined the church of Wall Street. From the tweak of the EdgeRank algorithm that introduced the concept of paying to raise the visibility of posts to the new "data grabbing" Photo Syncing feature, Facebook appears be interested in becoming more than just Friends with our bank accounts. And the newly introduced Couples "us" page may be pushing things to a strange new level of codependence.
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10
Pantone's Color of The Year: Tangerine Tango

What do a risqué dance step and the closest relative to the mandarin orange have in common? Pantone's Color of The Year, of course! Tangerine Tango is a delectable blend of approachable yellow and robust red, topped with a dash of the Tango's Latin heat. It's a color that's sure to make you sweat a seductive, spicy, citric glow. Our favorite kind.
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11
The New MySpace

The newly relaunched Myspace is back with a vengeance. Investor Justin Timberlake just wasn't ready to say, "Bye, Bye, Bye." With a layout resembling Pinterest and horizontal navigation, the New Myspace is slowly being released to social media enthusiasts on a user-requested basis. What's special about it? They've gone back to their core of providing musicians and their fans a "space" to connect, and dressed it up with modern design and functionality. Take a look for yourself!
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12
iPhone 5

The new girl on the block has made quite an impression. She has a slender, lighter body and her apps just won’t quit. We’re talking about the iPhone 5, of course. With ultra-fast wireless, speedier processing, stereo speakers, and other game-changing features, the new iPhone release was a big one. In fact, it initially sold out within an hour of its release.
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13
Instagram

Overexposed photography took over as turkeys bared their golden brown skin in record number this year. The photo sharing app Instagram ruled the roost when more than 10 million photos were posted on Thanksgiving Day. Images of yams and other Turkey Day favorites were uploaded at a blazing rate of 200 per second. This hip app nudged it's way into social media by providing users with the ability to mimic long exposure photography, crop images, and add filters before sharing finished masterpieces with family and friends.
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14
M n m l st D s gn

No, Dieter Rams is not a type of male goat. He's the industrial designer whose principles made a huge impact on web design in 2012. The short story? Minimalism caught on in a big way, showcasing flat color, solid blocking, light and flexible elements, generous use of negative space, and overall, a less-is-more attitude.
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15
"iJust needed space."

While the Google and Apple breakup wasn't as shocking as this weekend's Bieber/Gomez split, it wasn't totally unexpected and finally came to a head this year when iPhone 5 and iOS 6 eliminated YouTube and Google Maps altogether. But as Google Maps and the iPhone decided to "just be friends" earlier last week, we're crossing our fingers that Bieber and Gomez will be talking come Monday. #LoveUBiebez!!!
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16
Rich Typography

Rich Typography is forcing Comic Sans off the web and back where it belongs…in your Mom's emails. This year we got even closer to bridging the aesthetic gap between print and the web by creating beautiful live text that looks designed and not typed. As the web becomes more tactile through the proliferation of handheld, mobile touch devices, we're getting closer to experiencing type on the web in the same way we experience print.
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17
Open Education

Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life. Thankfully higher education eliminated one problem in 2012 as millions of people of all ages around the globe began flocking online to take free courses from elite universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT and Stanford. Whether you're interested in learning about Deep Sea Archeology, Bonobo Ape Problem Solving Skills or how Nature Conquered the Vikings in Greenland, a seat in a virtual lecture hall is now available at no charge.
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18
SOPA and PIPA Blackout

On January 18, 115,000 websites, including Wikipedia, Mozilla, reddit, Wired, and WordPress, aligned to form a frightening array of Black Holes across the Web by going dark to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP ACT (PIPA). This proposed legislation seeks to expand the ability of U.S. Law Enforcement to police the open Web like jack-booted thugs to prevent piracy by predominantly foreign sites. More than a billion people got an early taste of what's at stake if our law-abiding Internet citizenry is put at the mercy of "the man."
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19
GoPro Hero2 HD

According to its founder, GoPro is "not just about you being rad. It's about your family being rad, and about you being a rad dad." We're not quite sure what that means, but who can argue with such sound logic. 2012 saw extreme filming go mainstream with the worldwide release of the GoPro Hero2 HD digital video camera. Now amateurs and pros alike (such as Space Diver Felix Baumgartner) can be equally as rad and film themselves doing many, many rad things.
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20
A GIF-tastic Year

Today, we toast Oxford American Dictionaries' word of the year: GIF. These 90's-era-looping-animated-treasures elevated to a new art form that made us laugh, cry and stand up and cheer. From its humble beginning animating flags and flames, GIFFING achieved the lexical gold standard of becoming a verb in 2012. It's the perfect medium for sharing favorite movie clips, feats of Olympic wonder, political humor and stunning high-class fashion photography. In short, it's the GIF that just keeps on giving.
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21
Project Glass

With the end of the world now at hand, we've decided to go out with a bang! Today we feature Google Glass, a futuristic set of specs that will have you doing your best Geordi La Forge impression. Google's new gadget goggles weren't just announced this year, they were also voted TIME's Best Invention of 2012. Set for public release 2014, you can pre-order yours now for just $1,500 if you are feeling optimistic.
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22
Something to get UP for…

It tracks how you've been sleeping. It knows when you're awake. It knows if you've had Cinnabun, so be good, for goodness' sake. The jury is still out on Santa, but the Jawbone UP is all too real. The UP not only tracks your steps and calories burned, but it also monitors your sleep – making sure you're not disturbed in the middle of an important REM cycle.
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23
Mobile Gaming

The urge boils deep within. It consumes the mind and haunts the soul. How do we get the Angry Bird to knock over the final wooden block? It began with a simple Doodle Jump and escalated into a full-blown Temple Run. According to PopCap mobile, 46% of gaming time now occurs on mobile devices. So this year, give the most affordable gift of all: the free game, Where's my Water. Or go all in with the ultimate GameKlip for the gamers at the top of your nice list.
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24
Kickstarter

Everyone has a star to follow. If your dream is to… let's say… make a documentary film about a giant sculpture of Alfred Hitchcock's head, design environmentally friendly, high-tech blue jeans or make the world a better place by importing the Brazilian Zouk Lambada dance, Kickstarter is ready to make it come true. The innovative crowdfunding platform paid it forward again this year raising millions of dollars to bring thousands of creative projects to life. Don't stop believin'!