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Where did the year go? 2012 is just around the corner and with new startups emerging daily, it’s time to look at where we’ll be wasting, err spending, our time online next year.

1. Google+

Have you got social networking fatigue yet? Well, if you haven’t then you will probably take another look at Google+. The site launched in July and was immediately mobbed by swarms of techie early adopters. Once it was open to all, the audience remained largely underwhelmed, though it has a strong core of loyal users. Reports of the site’s failure are greatly exaggerated with a large and growing user base. And with brand pages almost out, you can bet that the big companies we follow will soon be promoting their Google pages aggressively, and that means we’ll end up there too. Once everyone catches on to just how easy it is to set up a Google+ page and choose your sharing options, it’s bound to be more popular than ever. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

2. Unthink

While we’re on the subject of social networks, let’s look at another contender, Unthink. According to founder Natasha Dedis, Unthink is a cause rather than a business. It’s all about building what you want online and sharing it the way you want (hmm, does that sound anything like Google+ or is it just me?) This is the anti-Facebook social network with more than 100,000 users signed up within less than 2 weeks. There’s not a lot on the site at the moment – and thankfully no ads – but this site has big plans. At the very least, we will have to try it out, but will it have the staying power to be there at the end of 2012? The jury’s out.

3. The Cloud

Ok, the cloud isn’t a specific location, but isn’t it good to know that even on Royal Caribbean 2012 cruises you will be able to access your data? Some of us are already using mobile, web and cloud services extensively, via smartphones, tablets and other devices. That’s only likely to increase as we become less and less attached to a desktop space. Still not convinced? You should be after Amazon’s launch of the Kindle Fire and the continuing rise of coworking and teleworking. The buzz words now are socially aware apps too, and big business is getting in on the act.

4. Fantasy Shopping

We’ve had fantasy football and fantasy all kinds of sports. Now it’s time for fantasy shopping and there’s a site set up for it. We area already doing much of our shopping online and now we can play games too. Fantasy Shopper is one of the winners of Amazon’s 2011 startup challenge so we’ll be seeing a lot more of that site next year.

5. Book Hatchery

These days everyone can be a publisher, but with so many formats (Kindle, Nook, iStore) who can be bothered? That’s where the Book Hatchery comes in a cross platform publishing service that aims to make self publishing easy. We love convenience so everyone who’s ever thought they had a book in them will want to check this out.

6. Angry Birds

Made by Rovio in Finland, this game is everywhere. In fact it’s not only on almost every phone and computer platform, but it’s gone offline into toystores. Angry Bird characters are turning up on cakes, too. This game isn’t going anywhere, so we’ll let our fingers do the squawking (yes, it had to be said) in 2012.

7. The Usual Suspects

Some of this year’s most popular sites will also see lots of traffic next year. After all, where would we be without the ability to look up the geographical details and history of small towns on Wikipedia? How could we exist without watching car crashes and silly animal stunts on YouTube. And then there’s Facebook. Despite the competition from some of the sites at the top of our list, Facebook has a user base of millions and it’s not going anywhere soon. Many of us will be wasting our time playing CityVille, FarmVille and other inane games. And of course, we’ll continue to overshare the mundane details of our lives on Twitter. See you there!

Written by Isabella Woods

With the NBA playoffs coming down to the wire, why not show off some of the most clutch shots in playoff history? This is what makes the playoffs exciting, that last shot which can win or lose a game and a series. Unfortunately for Lebron and company, they’ve managed to make an abysmal amount of last second shots, something like 1 for 30. While a lot of people complain about the stunts the Heat pulled this past summer, most aren’t willing to put their money where their mouth is. We love making wagers with each other, and always look up the basketball spread so that no one claims to have been cheated. Now, enjoy some of the most clutch moments from NBA history.

5. Alonzo Mourning’s Buzzer Beater in 1993

In 1993 Alonzo Mourning was a rookie on the Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Hornets) and helped his team to the NBA Finals by averaging 21.0 points a game. The greatest moment of that season was in Game 4 in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. With 3.3 seconds left Mourning gets an inbound pass, takes a dribble, and hits a step-back buzzer-beater to win the game 104-103. It was a series ending shot, putting the Hornets through 3-1. It was regarded as one of the greatest finishes to a NBA Playoffs game up to that point.

4. Duncan/Fisher in 2004 — The 0.4 Second Shot

Derek Fisher and the Lakers in 2004 played some amazing basketball, with Kobe in his prime, Shaq towering over everyone else, and a decent supporting cast made for a championship caliber team. In the Western Conference semi-finals, against a defending champion San Antonio team, the Lakers looked set to win with a one point lead with under 10 seconds to go. However, San Antonio managed to score with 0.4 seconds left. San Antonio’s fans figured they’d won the game, but Derek Fisher had other ideas. Using the remaining time, Derek Fisher barely managed to get the ball out of his hands and score the winning shot. However, the Lakers ended up losing in the Finals, being upset by the Detroit Pistons.

3. Larry Bird in 1981

Larry Bird had a fantastic career, playing 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Over the course of those years he had many memorable plays, seeming to get even better when under pressure. His steal in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1987, capitalizing on a mistake by Isiah Thomas and giving the Celtics the lead with 5 seconds left. But his greatest play may have been come in 1981 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. Following his own 3-point attempt, Bird rebounds the ball in the air, switches the ball from his right hand to his left, and scoops it in as his momentum carries him behind the backboard. It was called the “greatest play I’ve ever seen” by Red Auerbach. Skip to 3:00 in the video below to see it, or watch the whole thing if you have time. It’s worth it…

2. The Baby Sky Hook

The Lakers and the Celtics have one of the most heated rivalries in basketball. If you don’t believe me, just read a Bill Simmons column over on ESPN and you’ll understand what I mean. This rivalry was on display, with Larry Bird going up against Magic Johnson in the 1987 Finals. Lakers were up 2-1 in the series, with the Celtics looked like they were going to pull even in the series. That is, until Magic Johnson drove across the lane and put up his famous sky hook, over the outstretched arms of Larry Bird, snagging Game 4 from the Celtics. The Celtics would end up losing the series, and not making it back to the playoffs for another 21 years.

1. Michael Jordan — The Shot

Everyone knows Michael Jordan — he’s widely regarded as being the greatest basketball player who has ever lived. His 12 year span with the Chicago Bulls from 1984-1998 (with a two year retirement from 1993-1995) won him 6 NBA Championships and 5 MVP awards. His talent and competitive spirit were dominant, and he is still an American sports legend. His greatest moment may have come in the first round of the 1989 playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the 5th and deciding game, with 3 seconds left, Jordan receives an inbound pass while double teamed and shoots an amazing floating jumper over Craig Ehlo to win the game, and the series. It’s known as “The Shot” and has been replayed countless times. Enjoy this gem of American sports history and the NBA playoffs.

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Today we’re featuring the work of Ricardo Diez Baeza, a Spanish-born photographer who has explored the world and documented his travels. Born in Madrid in 1977, he has spent his life living abroad, and found his passion in photography. He says he was “traveling before he could afford a camera.” Living in Mauritania on a 2-year assignment he “had that one moment where taking pictures in automatic mode just doesn’t cut it anymore, and he had this inner urge to take control of his images.” Since that moment he has spent his free time roaming the streets and taking photos, looking for subjects that capture his imagination.

In this feature we’re focusing on his portraits of individuals. They’re a wonderful tribute to the diversity of people, and capture a wide variety of cultures and locations. Spend some time exploring them, and please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you Ricardo! Check out more of his work on his website

Exotic cars are rare, valuable, and very beautiful. But they don’t belong on display in a showroom or locked up in a garage. They’re meant to be driven, on the street or track, where the world can appreciate them. This post is dedicated to these stunning vehicles in their natural habitat — the highways and boulevards of the world. All photos in this post were taken by Gideon Gillard, an amateur photographer from California. And none of them are photo shoots — all of these cars were spotted on the street. Enjoy!

These cars are much different than a common 2011 Hyundai Elantra, but still belong on the road.

Source: GHG Photography

These ghostly and ethereal light paintings are the work of Janne Parvianinen, a photographer and light artist. The technique is deceptively simple — using a long exposure time, he traces a pattern through the air with a bright light that is picked up by the camera. In these particular examples Parviainen draws glowing, creepy, and wonderfully spectral human skeletons. They’re both bizarre and very beautiful.

Source: Janne Parviainen