The year was 1982. E.T. hit theatres across North America, Prince William was born and Michael Jackson ruled the air waves with the best-selling album of all time: Thriller. But more importantly a technological revolution was brewing that culminated in the release of the Commodore 64 computer. With a 1.023 MHu CPU and 64KB RAM it became one of the most successful personal computers in history for a mere $595.

30 years later we’ve witnessed an exponential growth in technology that’s rendered Time Magazine’s 1982 “Person of the Year” (yes, they gave it to a computer) obsolete. Today, for the same price you can purchase a device a 1000 times faster, 100 times smaller and it has the ability to connect you to anyone on the planet. It’s incredible to think what the next 30 years will bring.

I’m no Ray Kurzweil, so even looking forward into 2012 it’s hard to say exactly what web and technology trends will emerge, however, there are definitely a few top contenders.

Multi-Media Boom
We’ve all heard the expression “a picture is worth a 1000 words.” Well now a picture speaks louder than 140 characters. Many social media users are opting towards using multimedia as opposed to traditional posts. Instagram was named app of the year and continues to grow its user base. Looking for an interesting option to Twitter? Check out Tout where you can send 15 second videos of your life to all major social media channels.

Year of the Mobile
Is it finally here? There’s a good chance. The rapid advancements in mobile technology have revolutionized the way information is designed and shared. If you’re page isn’t mobile compatible, there’s a good chance you’ve lost out on plenty of opportunities for new business. Mobile ready web services are the minimum standard of 2012.

RFID
Radio Frequency Identification Devices were widely used throughout 2011. From vacationers checking in on Facebook from the beach, to New York Marathon runners receiving personalized messages on billboards, RDIF is quickly building a bright future for 2012. But will the potential of this location based technology outweigh individuals’ inherent concern of security? Only time will tell.

Crowd Sourcing
This is nothing new. Crowd sourcing has been around for plenty of time and for many it’s old news. But, what drives the ideas and trends of tomorrow are the questions we ask today.

So I ask: What web trends do you think will emerge in 2012?