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Wendy Boswell
Wendy's Web Search Blog

By Wendy Boswell, About.com Guide to Web Search

Search engines spruce it up for the holidays

Monday December 21, 2009
There are quite a few search engines that are offering fun holiday-themed for visitors...here are several that I've found (so far!):

yahoo holiday

Click on the Yahoo holiday logo, and you'll be taken straight to the Yahoo Holiday Traditions page; resources for every winter-themed holiday you can think of.

ask holiday

Click on the top left hand corner (where it says "Peel back") and you'll see a toolbar with the latest and greatest deals at Ask.

google holiday logo

Google's holiday logo takes you straight to this somewhat cryptic page:

google holiday logo

I'm guessing that we're going to see more logos for Google, how about you?

More about Google, Ask, and Yahoo

Web search news wrap up for Dec.14-19: Google and Yelp, Twitter hacked, Facebook privacy concerns

Saturday December 19, 2009
Lots of fun stuff happened in the world of Web Search this week, so let's get right to it:

Did I miss something? Let us know in the comments!

Twitter trends in 2009

Friday December 18, 2009
twitter trends Twitter has released their list of the top trending topics (say that three times fast) of 2009, divided into News, People, Movies, TV Shows, Sports, Technology and Hash Tags (user-created tags for topics). Here are a few picks from each category:

News: Iran election, Swine Flu,Gaza

People: Michael Jackson, Susan Boyle, Adam Lambert

Movies: Harry Potter, New Moon, District 9

TV Shows: American Idol, Glee, Teen Choice Awards

Sports: Super Bowl Lakers, Wimbledon

Technology: Google Wave, Snow Leopard, Tweetdeck

Hash Tags: #musicmonday, #iranelection, #sxsw

More about Twitter

The top YouTube videos of 2009

Thursday December 17, 2009

youtube 2009 YouTube has released their statistics for the top viewed videos of 2009, and here they are!

  1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent
  2. David After Dentist
  3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance
  4. New Moon Movie Trailer
  5. Evian Roller Babies
  6. Pitbull "I Know You Want Me"
  7. Miley Cyrus "The Climb"
  8. Miley Cyrus "Party in the U.S.A."
  9. The Lonely Island "I'm On a Boat"
  10. Keri Hilson "Knock You Down

YouTube also compiled the fastest rising search terms per month:

Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (Global):
January: inauguration
February: christian bale
March: the climb
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao vs hatton
June: michael jackson thriller
July: michael jackson
August: usain bolt
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: bad romance
December: tiger woods

Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (U.S.):
January: obama inauguration
February: on a boat
March: watchmen
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao
June: michael jackson thriller
July: wedding
August: send it on
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: adam lambert
December: tiger woods

Tell us what your favorite video is on the list....or was there another favorite of yours that didn't make it? Tell us about it!

More about YouTube

Mobile Web access predicted to be TWICE as active as desktop computer access

Wednesday December 16, 2009
mobile internetAn intriguing report released by financial analysis firm Morgan Stanley today postulates (using tons of historical data) that in the next few years, people all over the world will access the Mobile Web more than twice as much as they access the Web via desktop computers.

The report is extremely detailed (you can read the whole thing here: The Mobile Internet Report Setup, The Mobile Internet Report Key Themes, and The Mobile Internet Report), but the main takeaways are as follows:

  • Looking back at the last 50 years of technology innovations, it is safe to say that we are in the fifth - and possibly most disruptive - cycle. Access to the Web via mobile devices is expected to outpace previous cycles by at least a factor of ten, possibly more.
  • Within five years, more searchers will connect to the Web via a mobile device than desktop computers. This is huge.
  • There are five basic services that are collaborating to make mobile Web use bigger than anything we've seen yet: 3G adoption + social networking + video + VoIP + mobile devices that are able to handle all of the above.
  • The companies that "get" how the Mobile Web is taking off are Google, Apple, and Facebook.
  • Japan is far ahead of the US as far as mobile Web usage, in fact, most developed countries with a significant mobile user population are ahead of the US and have been for years.
  • Mobile carriers are scrambling to provide more coverage and services as mobile Web users demand them.
  • Access to the Web will become more distributed with the low barrier that Web-enabled devices provide.

That's it in a VERY small nutshell; the report is hundreds of pages long and I'm still slogging through it. I'd like to hear from you:

More about the Mobile Web

Search for rentals with Zillow

Tuesday December 15, 2009

zillow rentals Zillow, a popular real estate site that gives homeowners the ability to see how much their home is worth, has added another useful tool: a rental search feature.

More people than ever before are looking for rental properties online, and Zillow makes this as easy as possible: you can filter your search for the perfect rental by how much you're willing to pony up in a monthly payment, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, and more. Plus, Zillow will calculate how much you might pay for a similar home in the area for sale, giving you the option to compare renting vs. ownership.

Got a house you'd like to advertise for rent? Zillow does that too (for cheap!), so you can find the perfect renter for your property. Go ahead and give the new Zillow Rental Search a try and tell us what you think; there aren't that many rentals up as yet since it's a brand new service debuting today, but I am predicting that this will take off quickly.

More about Zillow

Estimate your home's value with Zillow: Zillow is a great (free!) service that allows you find your estimated home price, along with many other home appraisal services.

More places to find rentals on the Web

Five Things You Can Do With Craigslist: Did you know that you can find a house to buy or rent on Craigslist? Interact with people all over the world in a variety of forums? Barter your services for something else? That's just the tip of the Craigslist iceberg. Here's a few more things you can do with Craigslist.

Where can I find free printable coupons?

Monday December 14, 2009

As the holidays draw closer, I've gotten a few reader emails asking for the best free printable coupon sites. Check out my list of the best sites to find free printable coupons for both online and offline stores - you'll be able to save some serious money and find some great deals.

Web search news roundup for Dec.7-11: Twitter in search results, seniors and the Web, Facebook privacy settings

Saturday December 12, 2009

I've got some serious holiday baking to do today (and of course, some serious holiday sampling...got to make sure it tastes good, right?), and I bet you do too, so let's get right to the news in the world of search this week:

Did I miss something? Let us know about it in the comments!

Find local and national weather updates on the Web

Friday December 11, 2009

weather

Do you use the Web to check the local and national weather? If so, how do you do it?

I tend to use a few different sources, depending on what I'm looking for. For local weather, I use Yahoo Weather or Weather Underground. If I'm looking for storm information - anywhere in the world - I'll use the NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as Intellicast or AccuWeather. I don't usually use my local weather stations, but if there's something big going on, such as a snow storm or heat wave, I'll periodically check in (you can find your local TV station simply by typing your city + "TV station" - "chicago TV station" for example). Oh, and if you're looking for possible weather-related flights delays, you'll want to check out the FAA Flight Information Center, the official source of information for these issues.

How do you check your weather? Tell us in the comments.

More weather and news resources

A decade of the Web's most influential people

Thursday December 10, 2009
tim berners-lee The first decade of the '00s saw incredible advancements in Web technology. Online videos, shopping on the Web, blogging, RSS, social networking, and Web search grew by giant leaps and bounds, spearheaded by visionary leaders who worked tirelessly to make their visions tangible. Here are the ten most influential people on the Web.

And some people that became influential accidentally:

  • Top Twenty Web Celebs: Here are the Top Twenty Web Celebs: the people who didn't necessarily set out to be well-known, but ended up famous anyway due to the viral power of the Web.
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