2011 had all the elements of a dramatic novel - there was a fairy tale romance; good triumphing over evil; revolutions, celebrations; the launch of game-changing products and technology. It was all rather exhausting. But with 2012 shaping up to be even more epic, it's time to dig in and see what our crystal ball is saying...
Of course, my crystal ball is mostly filled with the spectre of retail and technology trends. And while retailers continue to release mixed sales results for the festive period and the last of 2011, technology experts are prophesying a new year of interesting developments. The political upheaval of 2011 - including the Arab Spring and the London riots - highlighted the growing importance of social media in our daily lives, and that influence looks set to continue this year. This is likely to be aided by the new networks that keep popping up (given in to Pinterest yet?), and London playing host to a summer of major events. However, that's not the only prediction for the next 12 months.
This year is expected to be big news for tablet devices such as the iPad and the Kindle Fire, which are increasingly becoming a key part of our digital lives. Sales of the gadget boomed in the final quarter of 2011, and with new releases just on the horizon you can't deny that the way we use the internet is about to evolve in a major way.
A survey released over Christmas revealed that 40% of Britons shop online when drunk at night - and who can blame them? All you have to do is pick up an ipad and within 3 minutes you could be fumbling around for your security code ready to hit 'pay'. It's become so easy for you to shop pretty much anything at any time, and ShopStyle is definitely guilty of assisting you! The problem is, will you still want that gold lamé tube skirt in the sober, cold light of day?!
Etailers are sure to clock on to this pattern of twilight shopping pretty soon - so expect evening sales and late night ticket releases aimed at tempting you away from TV! And that's another thing that's evolving - who actually watches anything when it's on these days? Sky+, Tivo and BBC iPlayer (to name a few) have enabled round the clock viewing which fits around you. You can also watch programmes wherever you like; on the bus, in the park, at your desk or even in the bath if you want, so do you really still need that big, clunky PC and TV? Probably not. Prepare yourself, because you won't be able to miss a beat of 2012