It would seem that, over the course of six years, a journal editor would run out of "firsts" to report, but that appears not to be the case. For example, 2011 was the first year that IEEE Transactions on Haptics (ToH) was indexed by Thomson-Reuters. Consequently, 2012 was the fi rst year that ToH had an offi cial Impact Factor, which came in at a healthy 1.49. Thomson-Reuters places ToH in the subject category COMPUTER SCIENCE, CYBERNETICS, where this journal debuted with the fi fth highest Impact Factor out of 20 peers. That, however, was not the only first. Also of note, Associate Editor Will Provancher produced the fi rst two "digest" podcasts for ToH. These are 15-minute audio podcasts that summarize each new issue. They can be played from the ToH website or downloaded to a portable device, and they offer a great way of getting an overview of an issue while driving to work or getting some exercise. If, for instance, you do not have the time right now to read through this entire issue, then perhaps you would enjoy listening to the podcast first. In addition to those firsts, we published 34 papers in 2012, 20% more than in any prior year. Not only were more papers published, but the rate of submissions edged upward as well. In the early part of 2013, that rate has been sustained. This year we will print approximately twice as many pages as we did in 2009, the first full year of publication. Finally, as is our custom in the year's first issue, it is my pleasure to announce the recipients of the Citations for Meritorious Service. The Citations recognize four individuals whose hard work and dedication exemplify the spirit of volunteerism that makes our journal a success. This year's recipients are Rick Adams for his work as an Associate Editor, and Massimiliano Di Luca, Panadda Marayong, and Kyle Reed for their work as reviewers.