Check out the 5 Things We Learned in 2012.

1. The USDA charged Lance Armstrong Mitt Romney was speaking to his audience In an attempt to take market share from
in what may prove to be the largest when he dismissed 47% of the U.S. Google, Apple replaced Google Maps with a
drug conspiracy in professional sports. population. Unfortunately, his audience painfully inferior Apple Maps in iOS6. iPhone
Armstrong was stripped of his 7 Tour de changed dramatically once a secret video of users around the world took to social media
France titles, though on Strava, a social his speech went viral. Picked up by to voice their frustration. In one week there
network for cyclists, Armstrong updated Huffington Post and Mother Jones, the were more than 7 million online references
his bio: “According to my rivals, peers, and video got 2 million hits on YouTube in one to Apple, over 600,000 of which referred
teammates I won the Tour de France 7 day, and sparked strong reactions and directly to Maps. Shortly after, Google
times.” His first public response comes conversation on both sides of the topic released its free Google Maps app. The app
via a global simulcast Oprah interview. (though mostly negative) with more than saw about 10 million downloads in the first
100,000 comments featured below the clip. 48 hours after launch. iOS 6 adoption
jumped 29 percent in the five days after the
app was released.
This year fans at Coachella were stunned “Sometimes you have to go up really high Have you been getting antsy waiting for
as a resurrected Tupac (via a hologram to understand how small you are,” said the Internet of Things (aka Ubiquitous
developed by Digital Domain Media Group) skydiver Felix Baumgartner after his space Computing) to become a reality? This fall,
joined Snoop and Dr. Dre for a performance jump. Baumgartner became the first human Kickstarter-backed Twine finally went on
of “Hail Mary” and “Gangsta Party.” The to exceed the sound barrier outside of any sale. The Twine sensor can measure
Twittersphere blew up during the vehicle in a live-streaming jump from the temperature, moisture, position, and
performance and Hologram Tupac even edge of space that took him 24 miles above vibration, meaning that the little wireless
got its own Twitter account with 23,979 the earth and had 8 million viewers holding square can tell you what your things are
followers tuning in to HOLO musings their breath live on YouTube. doing by email, text or Twitter.
including “I could have sworn I died with
a shirt on” and “Only Tron can judge me.”
Horse dancing in a tuxedo calling out to It wasn’t the official video of Carly Rae What is it about cats that has everyone
sexy ladies? Yes please. Korean rapper Jepsen’s ridiculously catchy pop tune “Call so mesmerized? Is it their high jinx? Their
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” shattered previous Me Maybe” that launched it into summer cuteness? Their seeming disdain for every
records to become the first video ever to hit anthem status. A super fun, low-budget other species including us? We may never
a billion views on YouTube. “Gangnam Style” home video featuring teen stars Justin fully understand the magnetic pull, but this
was YouTube’s top rising search of 2012 and Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Tisdale year definitely saw the rise of the celebrity
on October 6th, the site saw more than five lip-synching went viral and inspired a slew cat. With multi-platform social media
million searches for the video in a single day. of celeb copycats from Cookie Monster and presence and full merchandise stores
Colin Powell to the U.S. Olympic swim team. selling everything from onesies to ceramic
mugs, Tard the Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub top
the list with 345,000 and 88,000 likes on
Facebook respectively.
“Negligible” support from her father and When two men from the Taliban stopped In February, members of the all-female
racism and bullying from teammates and Malala Yousafzai’s school bus in Mingora, Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot staged
coaches alike early in her career lit a fire Pakistan, and shot her in the head twice, a guerilla-style performance in Moscow’s
that propelled 16-year-old Gabby Douglas to they assumed that would silence her for Cathedral of Christ the Savior to protest the
round up a few firsts at the London Olympic good. Instead, the 14-year-old, whose BBC Orthodox Church leader’s support for Putin.
Games. Douglas became the first U.S. blog described life under the Taliban’s Three of its members were arrested and two
gymnast to win both the all-around and ban on girls’ education, not only lived, were sentenced to harsh two-year terms for
team golds in a single Games and the first but galvanized a movement to address “hooliganism.” The punk rockers’ plight
African-American gymnast to win the the rights of young girls around the world. sparked international interest as protesters
Olympic all-around title. around the world donned brightly colored
balaclavas to support freedom of speech
and creative expression.
Superstorm Sandy delivered a devastating The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary Even before December 21, 2012, came and
blow to New York and New Jersey in late school left the entire nation heartbroken, went without a murmur from the fictional
October. At the height of one of the most shocked and asking what can we possibly planet Nibiru or a stray devastating meteor,
polarizing elections in recent U.S. history, do to help? Ann Curry answered the NASA went about reassuring people that
outspoken Republican Governor Chris question via Twitter: “imagine what would the world wouldn’t end. On November 28th
Christie praised President Obama’s happen if all of us committed to 20 acts almost 3,000 people attended a Google+
leadership in a large step toward of kindness to honor each child lost in hangout allowing them to throw their
bipartisanship and healing. On November Newton.” She added, “I’m in. If you are, RT questions at six astronomers, live. The
6th, Obama marked his electoral victory #20Acts.” Social media took the idea, upped experts spent nearly an hour patiently
via Twitter posting a photo of him and it to 26 to honor all the victims, and #26acts debunking myths from the public, including
Michelle hugging, with the simple line: was born. From anonymously picking up one woman who insisted she’s in touch with
Four more years. Within hours, the Tweet someone’s tab to donating pet food to a aliens from the Zeta Reticuli star system.
simultaneously became the most retweeted shelter, kindness went viral.
of 2012 and the most retweeted ever.
Tour de Lance Celebrity Cats
“Armstrong Still the Tour Champion — Or So He “The 30 Most Important Cats of 2012,” BuzzFeed,
Says on Social Media,” Velo News, 8 Jan. 2013. Web: 13 Dec. 2012. Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
Diego Kolsky 15 Jan. 2013. http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/most-
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/01/news/ important-cats-of-2012
armstrong-still-the-tour-champion-or-so-he-says-
on-social-media_270725 Gabby Takes Flight
“America’s Golden Girl,” Vanity Fair, October 2012.
The 47% Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
“Election 2012: Mitt Romney’s ‘47%’ Speech Goes http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/10/
Mike Preston Viral,” WSJ, Video: 18 Sept. 2012. Web: 15 Jan. 2013. gabby-douglas-told-to-get-nose-job-buzz-bissinger
http://live.wsj.com/video/election-2012-mitt-
Justin Kaczmar romney-47-speech-goes-viral/12DDD1DB-27B9- Malala Lives
Tara Mastrelli 4582-8FC3-A3EBE5A8DED2.html#!12DDD1DB- “Malala Yousafzai, the Girl Shot by the Taliban,
27B9-4582-8FC3-A3EBE5A8DED2 Becomes a Global Icon,” The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2012.
Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
Mapplegate http://www.theatlantic.com/international/
“Report: Google Maps Drives iOS 6 Adoption Up archive/2012/10/malala-yousafzai-the-girl-shot-
Special thanks to the entire team 29% in Five Days,” Forbes, 19 Dec. 2012. Web: 15 by-the-taliban-becomes-a-global-icon/263527/
at MBLM for their contributions, Jan. 2013.
observations, insights and input http://www.forbes.com/sites/ Russian Riot Grrls
davidthier/2012/12/19/report-google-maps- “Pussy Riot Was Carefully Calibrated for Protest,”
— their FLTR work on science drives-ios-6-adoption-up-29-in-five-days/ The New York Times, 22 Aug. 2012. Web: 15 Jan.
made this report possible. 2013.
Tupac Resurrection http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/arts/
Hologram Tupac, Twitter, Web: 15 Jan. 2013. music/pussy-riot-was-carefully-calibrated-for-
https://twitter.com/HologramTupac protest.html
Check our other Space Jump Christie Hearts Obama
issues of FLTR: “Space Jump: Felix Baumgartner Describes His “One Result of Hurricane: Bipartisanship Flows,”
Record-Breaking Skydive,” ITN News, Video, 15 Oct. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2012. Web: 15 Jan.
2012. Web: 15 Jan. 2013. 2013.
Olympics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLaX7hOVVKc http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/nyregion/
Travel in-stunning-about-face-chris-christie-heaps-
Internet of Things praise-on-obama.html?_r=0
Education “Our 32 Favorite Products From 2012,” Fast
Science Company. Web: 15 Jan. 2013. “Golden Tweets,” 2012 Year on Twitter. Web: 15 Jan.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671488/our-32- 2013.
Food favorite-products-from-2012#-9 https://2012.twitter.com/en/golden-tweets.html
Hey, Call Me Maybe? #26acts
“Ultimate ‘Call Me Maybe’ Viral Mashup,” The “Inspired to act: #26Acts of kindness to honor
Huffington Post, 25 Jul. 2012. Web: 15 Jan. 2013. those lost in Newtown, Conn.,” NBCNews.com.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shira-lazar/ Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
ultimate-call-me-maybe-vi_b_1700301.html http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_
news/2012/12/17/15972814-inspired-to-act-
Oppan Gangnam Style 26acts-of-kindness-to-honor-those-lost-in-
“’Gangnam Style’ Hits 1 Billion Views on YouTube,” newtown-conn?lite
Mashable, 21 Dec. 2012. Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
http://mashable.com/2012/12/21/gangnam- The World Didn’t End
style-billion-views-2/ “NASA vs. the Maya Madness,” Time, 12 Dec. 2012.
Web: 15 Jan. 2013.
http://science.time.com/2012/12/12/nasa-
versus-the-mayan-madness/