Mobile internet and social media continued to grow rapidly in 2012, with smartphones surpassing personal computers as the most common device for internet access and major social networks like Facebook seeing steady increases in users. E-commerce also experienced strong growth, with online retail sales rising 15% to top $200 billion for the year in the United States alone. Looking ahead, new technologies like augmented reality, 3D printing, and advanced analytics applied to big data are poised to transform entire industries in the coming years.