This document discusses trends in database technologies and big data. It begins by questioning whether relational databases are always the most efficient way to store data and whether companies like Facebook use traditional databases. It then covers object-relational mapping (ORM), which provides a bridge between object-oriented programming languages and relational databases. The document also discusses NoSQL databases as an alternative for handling large, unstructured "big data" and provides examples like document stores, key-value stores, and graph databases. It concludes by defining big data and discussing the types, analysis, and market size of big data technologies.