Rolling up the year ending stones for 2011 but what do really matters this year’s top 10 search list? Heard of Zeitgeist? Well, according Wikipedia, it is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age." It is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, socio-cultural direction, and mood associated with an era.
So much for the definition, every year Zeitgeist sorted billions of Google searches to capture the year's 10 fastest-rising global queries and the rest of the spirit of 2011. So here’s the 10 of the Top searched this 2011 according to Zeitgeist 2011.
1 - Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black made a big splash on the Internet with the release of her 2011 pop single “Friday.” The music video catapulted the then 13-year-old to celebrity status after the video went viral, receiving over 167 million views on YouTube.
Searches for Rebecca Black and related searches like Rebecca Black Friday jumped >10,000% between 2010 and 2011, making the young pop singer the #1 fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
Rebecca Renee Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory. After the video went viral on YouTube and other social media sites, "Friday" was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it "the worst song ever." The music video received around 167 million views, causing Black to gain international attention as a "viral star", before being removed from the site on June 16. Black re-uploaded it in her own channel three months later.
2 - Google Plus (G+)
In June 2011, Google entered the social networking space with the launch of Google+. In the three weeks following its announcement, Google+ amassed a user base of more than 10 million people.
The social network grabbed the #2 spot on Google’s list of fastest rising searches after Google+ and related searches like Google Plus shot up by >10,000%.
The service was launched on June 28, 2011, in an invite-only "field testing" phase. The following day, existing users were allowed to invite friends who were over 18 years of age to the service to create their own accounts. This was suspended the next day due to an "insane demand" for accounts. On August 6, each Google+ member had 150 invitations to give out, but on September 20, 2011, Google+ was opened to everyone 18 years of age or older without the need for an invitation. After Google+ went public, users registered to Google+, but those under 18 years of age were unable to sign up for Google+.
Google+ integrates social services such as Google Profiles and Google Buzz, and introduces new services identified as Circles, Hangouts and Sparks. Google+ is available as a web site, and will be available as a desktop application, and is already available as a mobile application, but only on the Android and iOS operating systems. Google has launched an API platform for developers. Sources such as The New York Times have declared it Google's biggest attempt to rival the social network Facebook, which had over 800 million users in 2011.
3 - Ryan Dunn
Best known for his daredevil stunts on the reality TV shows “Jackass” and “Viva La Bam,” Ryan Dunn lost his life in a car accident on June 20, 2011 at the age of 34.
The volume of searches for Ryan Dunn grew >10,000% in 2011, making the Ohio native the third fastest rising search on Google.
Ryan Matthew Dunn (June 11, 1977 – June 20, 2011) was an American reality television personality and daredevil best known for being a member of the Jackass and Viva La Bam crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground. A member of the CKY Crew, Dunn played one of the main characters in Bam Margera's 2003 film Haggard: The Movie, which was based on a failed relationship Dunn had experienced. He died at the age of 34 in an alcohol-related car crash in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
4- Casey Anthony
Young mother Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder when the remains of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee were found in a wooded area near her home in Orlando, Florida. A jury found her not guilty on July 5, 2011.
Searches for Casey Anthony and related searches like Casey Anthony Case grew 2,680% from 2010 to 2011, putting her into the #4 spot of fastest rising searches on Google.
Caylee Marie Anthony (August 9, 2005 – indeterminate ca. June 2008) was an American two-year-old girl who was reported missing in Orlando, Florida, in July 2008, and whose remains were found in a wooded area near her home in December 2008. Her then 22-year-old mother, Casey Marie Anthony, was tried for the first degree murder of Caylee but was acquitted. She was, however, convicted of misdemeanor counts of lying to police officers.
5 - BattleField 3
The highly anticipated release of EA’s first-person shooter video game, Battlefield 3, sold 5 million copies in its first week.
Searches for Battlefield 3 and related searches BF3 jumped 1,773% between 2010 and 2011, making this action game the #5 fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
Battlefield 3 (commonly abbreviated to BF3) is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released in North America on October 25, 2011 and in Europe on October 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for the iOS platform. It does not support versions of Windows prior to Windows Vista as the game only supports DirectX 10 and 11.
It is a direct sequel to 2005's Battlefield 2, and the eleventh installment in the Battlefield franchise. The game sold 5 million copies in its first week of release, and was released to critical acclaim from most game reviewers. The PC download is exclusive to EA's Origin platform, through which PC users also authenticate when connecting to the game.
6 - iPhone 5
Consumers and analysts alike anticipated the release of Apple’s newest smartphone many months prior to its arrival. Rumored features included a larger screen, edge-to-edge glass, an 8 megapixel camera, and extensive voice controls. Many believed the phone would be called the iPhone 5.
Searches for iPhone 5 rose 1,658% between 2010 and 2011, making the rumored smartphone the #6 fastest rising search on Google.
Consumers and analysts alike anticipated the release of Apple’s newest smartphone many months prior to its arrival. Rumored features included a larger screen, edge-to-edge glass, an 8 megapixel camera, and extensive voice controls. Many believed the phone would be called the iPhone 5.
7 - Adele
Adele rocked the music industry with the release of her sophomore album “21,” which sold 208,000 copies in the UK in its first week and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart for 16 consecutive weeks. The album catapulted the 22-year-old to record-breaking success and international acclaim.
Searches for Adele rose 1,588% between 2010 and 2011, making the singer the 7th top rising search on Google.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), better known simply as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. Since her debut album, 19, Adele has received much recognition both commercially and critically. The album debuted at number one and has been certified four times platinum in the UK. Her career in the US was boosted by a viewer record–breaking Saturday Night Live episode in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
8 - 東京 電力 (TEPCO) Fukushima
The Japanese government ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents living near the 東京 電力 (TEPCO) Fukushima I Plant after the 2011 earthquake badly damaged several nuclear reactors.
Searches for 東京 電力 (TEPCO) shot up 1,470%, making the electric utility company the 8th fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
東京 電力 (TEPCO) Fukushima is an electric utility servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and international branch offices exist in Washington, D.C., and London.
In 2007 Tepco was forced to shut the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after the Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake. That year it posted its first loss in 28 years. Corporate losses continued until the plant reopened in 2009. Following the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, its power plant at Fukushima Daiichi was the site of a continuing nuclear disaster, one of the world's most serious. TEPCO could face ¥2 trillion ($23.6 billion) in special losses in the current business year to March 2012, and Japan plans to put TEPCO under effective state control as a guarantee for compensation payments to people affected by radiation. The Fukushima disaster displaced 50,000 households in the evacuation zone because of radiation leaks into the air, soil and sea.
9 - Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs inspired millions of people around the world with his passion and creativity. The technological visionary revolutionized the way people live and work with the aid of Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
Searches for Steve Jobs grew 982% in 2011, making the creative genius the 9th fastest rising search on Google.
Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs was co-founder and previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney.
In 1996, NeXT was acquired by Apple. The deal brought Jobs back to the company he co-founded, and provided Apple with the NeXTSTEP codebase, from which the Mac OS X was developed." Jobs was named Apple advisor in 1996, interim CEO in 1997, and CEO from 2000 until his resignation. He oversaw the development of the iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, and iPad and the company's Apple Retail Stores.
In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Though it was initially treated, Jobs reported of a hormone imbalance, underwent a liver transplant in 2009, and appeared progressively thinner as his health declined. In August 2011, during his third medical leave, Jobs resigned as CEO, but continued to work for Apple as Chairman of the Board until his death.
On October 5, 2011, he died in his Palo Alto home, aged 56. His death certificate listed respiratory arrest as the immediate cause of death, with "metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor" as the underlying cause. His occupation was listed as "entrepreneur" in the "high tech" business.
10 - iPad 2
iPad 2 took the world by storm when 500,000 of the second-generation tablets were sold on their debut weekend. Seen as a sleeker, lightweight alternative to its predecessor, iPad 2 sold out across virtually all channels in its first week.
Searches for iPad 2 rose 939% between from 2010 to 2011, making the tablet the 10th fastest rising search on Google.
The iPad 2 is the second and current generation of the iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white. The iPad 2 has a lithium-ion polymer battery that lasts up to 10 hours, a new dual core Apple A5 processor and VGA front-facing and 720p rear-facing cameras designed for FaceTime video calling.
Apple unveiled the device on March 2, 2011, began selling it by website and retail stores on March 11, and released it in 25 other countries on March 26, including Australia, Britain and Canada. Apple announced that the iPad 2 would be released in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and other countries on April 29, 2011.
- Reference/Source: Zeitgeist 2011: How the World Searched