Good old-fashioned reading is on the rise thanks to the booming popularity of e-readers. In 2007, a study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that half of 18-24-year-old Americans read no books for pleasure. The e-book era may be changing that. A Sony-commissioned survey conducted in May found that 40 percent of e-reader owners report reading more than they did with print books. Amazon says its customers buy roughly three times as many books after getting a Kindle.
And finally, smartphone apps have re-popularized classic games and toys. The much-anticipated Scrabble iPad app hit the market this fall after the wide adoption of Newtoy’s Scrabble knockoff, Words With Friends. Electronic Arts has turned the classic Lite Brite into a digital experience.