May 22nd, 2007

The daily Google Zeitgeist

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:54 am

Categories: Google Zeitgeist

Tags: Google Inc., Garett Rogers

On Monday, Google launched a new module for Google Trends called “Hot Trends” that analyzes queries done in the USA. The tool is updated several times daily so we can get a sense, albeit not real time, of what is happening right now on Google Search.

Hot Trends, a list of the current top-100 fastest-rising search trends, will be refreshed several times daily, using data from millions of Google Web searches conducted up to an hour before each update, the company said.

I don’t know how useful the tool actually is, but I do know it’s fun to play with, at least for a few hours. Unfortunately, it will probably fall under the “cool, but I’ll never use it” category for me — like the actual “Google Trends” product.

Why would I say that? Well, for one thing, it’s off the beaten path and so it requires effort to use. Why not include some of this information directly in the search results (through a sparkline with the ability to drill down)?

December 18th, 2006

Google Zeitgeist 2006

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:05 am

Categories: Google Zeitgeist

Tags:

It's not yet available on the Google press page, but if you know where to look you can catch a glimpse before it's made public.  The 2006 Zeitgeist explores what's hot, current events, milestones, entertainment and sports.

What's Hot 

What roils our curiosity enough to ask basic questions? Between these four simple query types, we seem to be keeping up with current events (and films), studying modern medications, and striving to learn new things.What roils our curiosity enough to ask basic questions? Between these four simple query types, we seem to be keeping up with current events (and films), studying modern medications, and striving to learn new things.

Current Events

Geopolitics was on our minds this year, and some politicians were top of mind. We sought to know the location of certain hotspots, and we kept an eye on the latest social and political scandals however they unfolded.

 

 

Milestones 

Year in and year out, human nature expresses itself, and so does our curiosity about the merging, purging and passages of others. This is true especially of celebrities — not to mention their offspring.

 

Entertainment 

In an always-on world, our quest for diversion never stops. We seek to be entertained by live music, theatre, sports — and “reality” as seen on TV.

 

Sports

Only one year in four can boast the Olympics and the World Cup, and so 2006 tested our loyalty not only to players and teams, but to very different games. Of course, every year sports exact a toll on players (in 2006, the list includes a TV sport and a software mogul) who announce their retirement.