Ubertrends : How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future

Ubertrends -- How Trends And Innovation Are Transforming Our Future is a visual, eye-opening exploration of eight massive waves that are reshaping humanity, accentuated by the forces of innovation. An Ubertrend is a gigantic wave, think tsunami, that cascades through society leaving many subtrends in its turbulent wake. What sets Ubertrends apart? An Ubertrend causes fundamental changes in societal attitudes and values. Most trends merely skim the social surface. Besides population changes, Ubertrends open doors for disruptive innovations while propelling game-changing new business trends. The world s permanently altered consumer behavior provides immediate context for how our future is evolving, setting the stage for new waves of breakthrough innovations that further recast it. In nine riveting chapters, you will learn more about these unique life forces:

 Digital Lifestyle -- Marriage of Man and Machine;  Fountain of Youth -- Rejuvenating Body, Spirit and Environment;  Generation X-tasy -- Been There, Done That;  Time Compression -- The Acceleration of Life;  Unwired -- Untethered and Unfettered;  Casual Living -- The Evaporation of Decorum;  Voyeurgasm -- I Like to Watch;  WAF (Woman's Acceptance Factor) -- Ascent of Woman;  Innovation -- Reinventing Business and Life.

The most significant wave is the Digital Lifestyle, Marriage of Man and Machine. The computer is mimicking us, and we're becoming the computer. Don't believe it? When you tire you crash. Another growing consumer trend is Time Compression, The Acceleration of Life. Time Compression has made life a blur, turning our state of mind into a state of time. This Ubertrend traces its roots to 1940s Massachusetts with the invention of the Polaroid camera and Raytheon microwave oven. These Ubertrends are described in data-based detail, providing an unadulterated look at current trends in consumer behavior against a remarkable backdrop of today's fastest-growing consumer and technology trends.

Michael Tchong is on an indefatigable quest to decode the future. Being at the forefront of emerging trends is a perpetual passion that led Michael to establish his first media startup, MacWEEK, which helped mainstream desktop publishing.
Michael's next startups demonstrated a similar ability to ride waves early, including CRM, internet analytics and digital marketing. His ability to pioneer sweeping changes was validated by the acquisition of MacWEEK by Ziff-Davis; CyberAtlas by Mecklermedia; ICONOCAST by Imagine Media.
Hooked on entrepreneurship, Michael next founded Atelier Systems, which developed a personal communication manager, dubbed "Hello," featuring a novel idea -- a modularly extensible architecture enhanced by an innovative GUI. This feature set has yet to be matched nearly 30 years later.
Always pushing the innovation envelope, Michael is a leading advocate of easy-to-use digital tools and superior customer experiences. The rapid growth of technology and innovation have made him a sought-after catalyst for the advancement of both ecosystems.
Michael's public speaking career was launched during the late 1990s dotcom boom with the founding of ICONOCAST, an award-winning digital marketing trendsetter.
He has entertained audiences globally, inspiring them with riveting insights into the world's most scintillating lifestyle, innovation and technology trends.
A cerebral catalyst, Michael motivates attendees by challenging their creativity and inventiveness. His informative yet entertaining style fuses the emotional and rational brain to help foster a new culture of innovation, an urgent need in this day and age of time-compressed change.
His unique people-watching and trend-forecasting perspectives have earned Michael recognition as one of the great forward thinkers of the information age. The ability to distill the future led the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph to label Michael "America's most influential trendspotter."
Michael studied economics at Fordham University in the Bronx and thoroughly enjoyed his high-school education at Colegio Arubano in Aruba where he graduated at the top of his class.
He began his career at some of Madison Avenue's most creative ad agencies, including DDB, Chiat/Day and Ally & Gargano.
Michael is the founder of Ubercool Innovation, a thought-leading incubator that helps companies shape-shift market sectors by leveraging next-generation technologies and user experiences. More details can be found at ubercool.com.