What users searched for in 2007?

What users searched for in 2007?



A review of Yahoo searches reveals global warming, celebrity meltdowns, social networking and a literary boy wizard's final adventure captured mankind's attention in 2007.

The US Internet giant sifted billions of searches made this year by its hundreds of millions of users worldwide to identify trends regarding what piqued people's interest.

Here we bring to you the 10 most searched tech words on Yahoo in 2007. These are the words for which the users clamoured for information on in this past-one year.

And are also the words which as Raj Gossain, Yahoo's senior director of marketing search, says reflect broad consumer trends that dominated the year 2007.

YouTube




Gadgets and games weren't the only thing to push the tech limits. In 2007, the popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips -- YouTube -- ruled the Yahoo search results.

YouTube made headlines for its US Presidential debate, its YouTube Video Awards, and of course its soft porn videos.

According to a new report from research firm comScore, Google's YouTube continues to rank as the top US online video property, drawing the most unique video viewers and most videos.

Wikipedia




The biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet was the second most searched word on Yahoo in 2007. The foundation that runs Wikipedia recently agreed to pay contributors to the online encyclopedia a modest fee for their work.

However, it won't pay the thousands of people who participate in creating the wiki pages -- just artists who create “key illustrations” for the site.

The year 2007 was also full of controversies for one of the biggest online brands with reports of companies including Microsoft trying to edit wiki entries. The site was also banned in some US schools.

Facebook



Corporate stakes accelerated the growth of social networking and the biggest example of it is Facebook.

The social networking site which has been giving tough competition to the Internet giant google recently got support from its biggest rival Microsoft. Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6 per cent stake in the company this October.

Facebook has also raised $60 million from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, adding to its list of financial heavyweights backing the online hangout's rapid growth.

The second largest social network on the Web behind News Corp's MySpace.com launched a marketing initiative called Beacon last month. The marketing tool agitated thousands of Facebook users because it circulated potentially sensitive information about their online purchases and other activity

iTunes



The digital media player application introduced by Apple in January 2001 once again showed its popularity: the music app is fourth on the Yahoo tech search trends for 2007.

Now users can turn songs from the iTunes Store into custom ringtones for their iPhone and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on their iPod touch or iPhone.

Also, following a dispute over pricing issues in August, NBC has now officially ended its deal with Apple and their content has been removed from the iTunes Store, despite the company being the largest supplier of video downloads.

Some shows that are broadcasted on NBC are still available at the iTunes Store, however, as they are produced by other studios, rather than NBC Universal.

iPod




The portable media player leader iPod comes was the fifth most tech searched word on Yahoo. iPod which was launched by Apple in 2001 again revamped its line-up this year.

Apple unleashed a slew of new iPods, including its all new iPod, the iPod Touch. Also dubbed as 'the God machine', the new iPod seems to have borrowed interface technology from iPhone -- except that it is no phone.

Apple also reduced the price of its best-selling 8 GB iPhone model from $599 to $399, barely two months after it started selling them. The smaller 4 GB phone, which had sold for $399, was discontinued. Apple executives said that the revamped and expanded iPod line -- which recasts the iPhone as the top model -- is the company’s most robust lineup ever for the holiday season.

iPhone



Apple seems to be in a habit of ruling the charts, iPhone is third offering from the company in the Yahoo's most searched tech words list.

The phone which made its international debut in June gave a new lease of life to smartphones and compelled phone manufacturers to rethink their strategies after their products look shadowed in iPhone halo.

In fact, the iPhone success seems to have claimed its first victim with many analysts believing that iPhone success contributed to Motorola's CEO Ed Zander exit. Many feel that RAZR 2 was released too late and has been overshadowed by iPhone.

However, iPhone too has its share of controversies, after initial network glitches on AT&T, the iPhone is now facing a lawsuit from Klausner Technologies over its voicemail. New York-based Klausner has filed a $360 million suit against Apple and AT&T Inc over voicemail patents that Klausner claims the Apple iPhone infringes.

Nintendo Wii




Nintendo Wii debuted in late 2006, amidst predictions of a stiff competition from the Sony PlayStation 3 and the new Xbox, however, Wii sales gained on both the 360 and the PS3. Little doubt then that it was among the Yahoo's 10 hottest search words for 2007.

The company's 2007 releases include "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" (for the Wii) and “The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” and “Brain Age 2” (for the DS).

The company also announced that it will let individuals and outside game studios create and sell downloadable Wii games with a tool called WiiWare. Gamers will be able to purchase the games through the console's Wii Shop channel starting in early 2008.

Xbox



Giving competition to Nintendo's Wii is Microsoft's Xbox 360. While Wii racked up 350,000 unit sales during Thanksgiving week in the US, Xbox 360 wasn't very far behind with 310,000 units sold during the same period.

Based on these figures, analysts believe that it will be a fairly tight battle between the Wii and 360 during December, with the Wii having a slight edge.

In this, Nintendo seems to be taking a page from Microsoft Corp's play book. The Redmond, Washington-based software maker's XNA Game Studio tools let developers design video games for its Xbox 360 console.

Recently, Microsoft is said to have issued a warning about a one of the features of the new dashboard update for the Xbox 360. The update allows users to change the email account (Live ID) associated with their Xbox Live Gamertag and one that has been requested since the consoles launched.

Sony PlayStation 3



Ninth on the Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) games console sold 183,217 units in November in Japan, outselling Nintendo's Wii's 159,193 units for the first time, according to media reports.

This may be a turning point for Sony's struggling games division. The PS3 has lagged the Wii in sales since the devices were launched late last year due to the Sony machine's high price and scarcity of strong game titles.

Sony Computer Entertainment America reported similar success in the United States, where PlayStation 3 hardware sales have increased by nearly 300 per cent.

Sony launched a 40 GB model for Y40,000 ($361) in Japan in November and cut prices on 20 GB models, which ignited sales and could provide the next-generation console with the momentum it needs through the holiday shopping season.

Analysts said this year's Christmas season is crucial for Sony's PS3 in terms of winning the “perception wars.”

Guitar Hero



Tenth on the Yahoo list is the popular game Guitar Hero, one of the hottest and most surprising hit.

Musical games have long had their niche in the video-game industry. Fans of “Dance Dance Revolution” or “Pump It Up” like to show off their footwork; “SingStar” and “Karaoke Revolution” attract “American Idol” wannabes. Such games can be fun at parties and they've always had a devoted audience, but they never really attracted the masses.

That changed with the 2005 release of RedOctane's “Guitar Hero.” Suddenly, every gamer had a fake Gibson connected to his PlayStation, and plenty of music lovers who don't usually play games got hooked as well.

The creators of “Guitar Hero” are now developing “Rock Band” -- which adds drums and vocals to the formula -- for Electronic Arts and MTV Games. Activision is preparing “Guitar Hero III” for the holidays.

And plenty of other studios have music games in the works. Fans of the genre are no longer a cult today it seems every gamer wants to be a pop star.

Activision Blizzard recently announced plans to "exploit" its successful franchises like Guitar Hero by bringing out titles on an annual basis.