ABC News: Then vs. Now: The Next Big Things for 2006

LINK: ABC News: Then vs. Now: The Next Big Things for 2006

What's hot and what's Not? What does ABC predict this new year will bring us in the form of entertainment, technology, fashion, as well as health and fitness?

ABC listed a total of 9 Next BIG things. I have listed only the even numbers, as it worked out #6 being even -- happens to be one that really grabbed my attention. :-)

Snippet~

Jan. 2, 2006 — The new year will bring rise to new trends. Low-rise jeans will creep up the waist, and gone will be the seemingly ubiquitous celebrity-t's.Remember "Team Aniston" and "Team Jolie?" Maybe you can recall Eva Longoria's controversial shirt which jolted Jennifer Aniston with a low blow: "I'll have your baby, Brad." Those are history.

Bye to cowboy boots, sayonara sudoku and peace out pomegranate juice. "GMA" has the latest on what will come to the forefront of pop culture and fashion this year.

Snippet~ Even numbers listed below:

2. CELEBRITY-DRIVEN TEES VS. CONSUMER-DRIVEN TEES

2005 was oversaturated with celebrity-centric t-shirts with shallow slogans that celebrities themselves seemed to like being photographed in — and fans liked to purchase to "feel" like they were living the life. In 2006, people are going to get over the frivolousness of the "team" and paparazzi tees — finally. More down-to-earth, consumer-driven tees will be the rage. Threadless.com (an ongoing Web-based t-shirt design competition) is the perfect example of where this creativity-driven trend is going. Users are invited to submit their own t-shirt designs to the site. Each week, users vote for their favorite design, and five of the highest-scoring designs are printed and sold from the site (in limited supply — so not too many people ever have the same shirt). The winning designers then receive $1,000 in cash and prizes. The concept behind the site is something we see continuing to grow, because it allows consumers to set the trends. There are also socially conscious slogan tees. Slogans bring awareness to serious and important issues like the environment, rather than to who's "team" people are on.

4. CAMERA PHONES VS. MP3 PHONES

Camera phones were what everyone wanted to have in '05. But in '06 it will be mp3 phones or music-on-demand phones. The Motorola ROKR was a bit of a disappointment — supposedly it doesn't provide quality sound or service — but the Samsung A900 Blade phone is sure to be a bigger hit. The phone (which went on the market Dec. 1), nicknamed the "Blade" for its incredible thinness, includes a 1.3 mp camera, Bluetooth capabilities, 320 x 240 screen, mp3 player, 128 MB flash memory, and 64 MB RAM. The camera boasts up to three hours of talk time before recharge.

6. POMEGRANATE VS. ACAI

Pomegranate (Pom Wonderful), the anti-oxidant rich fruit (juice), became wildly popular in 2005 both for it's health benefits (potent with antioxidants, which help the body guard against free radicals — molecules that can cause premature aging, heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer) and because bars across America started creating yummy specialty drinks with the sweet juice (i.e. pomegranate margaritas, monitors and martinis). Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is an all-natural energy fruit from Amazon palm berries. Wild harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, acai tastes like a blend of berries and chocolate. Acai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential omegas (the good-for-you fatty acids). The pulp also contains a concentration of antioxidants, to help combat premature aging, with 10-30 times the anthocyanins (purple colored antioxidants) of red wine. Acai has an almost-perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration. A company called Sambazon seems to the "Pom Wonderful" of Acai.

8. NATURAL GLOW FOR BODY VS. NATURAL GLOW FOR FACE

Last year Jergen's came out with Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, which literally flew off the shelves. It's an all-in-one product that delivers summer's natural glow while infusing your skin with the moisturizing properties you need year round. Now, Jergen's has come out with Natural Glow for your face. They call it "complexion perfection that glows." It's a lightweight, non-comedogenic, oil-free moisturizer that delivers the optimum amount of naturally glowing color to even out skin tone, and gives faces a subtle, luminous glow. Specially developed for delicate facial skin, Jergen's natural glow FACE Daily Moisturizer hydrates complexions without clogging pores. The formula is gently balanced to allow wearers to gradually develop a subtle, sun-kissed glow without having to worry about streaks or blotches. This product will not hit shelves until March or early April.