The Top Google Search Trends of 2018

'How to' and 'what is' are the top overarching categories. Politics got a lot of inquiries this year - but Bitcoin was number one. JL


Rob Martin reports in PCMag:

At this point, Google search is an extension of our brains. Every day, we type dozens of queries into the ubiquituous search engine, and once a year Google gives us a tiny topical peek into the cavernous vault of information. In  US-specific search trends, the number one "what is...?" search query of 2018 went to Bitcoin. The next few top queries in that category were more political, with racketeering, DACA, and government shutdown all cracking the top five. "How to vote" and "how to register to vote" were the top searches, with "how to buy Ripple" and "how to turn off automatic updates" making the top five.

The Science of Growing the Perfect Christmas Tree

The pursuit of perfection starts ten years before harvesting. JL

Robbie Gonzalez reports in Wired:

The Collaborative Fir Germplasm Evaluation Project goals include identifying new species for Christmas trees. There are between 30 and 40 species of firs, a small handful of which are grown for the North American Christmas tree market. Hardiness is one of many coniferous characteristics in pursuit of increasingly perfect Christmas trees. The colder a species can get before browning, the more resilient it is to endure multiple winters and still come out looking living-room ready. There’s also size and color.

Delivery Robot Spontaneously Bursts Into Flames. Observers Mourn

Fallen in the heat of the delivery battle...JL

Sophia Brown-Heidenreich reports in The Daily Californian:

A KiwiBot, one of the more than 100 robots that deliver food throughout the campus and city, caught fire outside the (UC Berkeley) Student Union. Garnering more than 300 reactions and more than 90 comments within an hour of uploading the video of the robot in flames, students have called for a moment of silence, suggesting finals week may have finally gotten to the robot as well. While the KiwiBot may have been scorched, it was not delivering a meal when it caught fire — no one saw their order lost.

Beer Pouring Robots Hit US Football Stadiums

Perfect hand-off. JL

Peter Holley reports in the Washington Post:

The mechanical arm — manufactured by Universal Robots and programmed by MSI Tec — serves beer from a machine that fills plastic cups from the bottom up using a magnet. The robot is programmed to start dispensing once two people push a button at the same time. Unlike a human bartender, the UR5e never spills a drop of beer. Asked (about) any issues arising between drunk football fans and a robotic beer-pourer, “We haven’t had any issues so far.”

Checking In When the Algorithm Has Already Checked You Out

You are what you ordered from room service last time you stayed. JL

Craig Karmin reports in The Wall Street Journal:

While hotel operators typically organize their pricing around room inventory, a new hotelier is experimenting with a pricing system that uses an algorithm to set a different room rate and tailor promotions for each guest based on a variety of personal information. As it collects more information on guests, the algorithm is meant to refine the value of a guest’s personal profile, spending habits, social-media reach and other criteria. The system then adjusts each individual’s room rates and perks accordingly.

Weird And Wonderful: The Strangest, Most Futuristic Patents Of 2018

Weather-based comfort foods, communicative soccer shin guards, the 3-D web and other marvels of innovation. JL

Dhiraj Jindal reports in The Next Web:

The US patent office issued over 24,547 patents and published over 29,894 patent applications. The World Wide Web was invented 30 years ago. Since then, the web has remained two-dimensional (2D). Now, according to a patent publication from Amazon, web-pages on your smartphone’s screen will be converted into a 3D interface with different types of content — such as links, advertisements, article text etc. — appearing at different heights and depths. Orson Welles famously said: “Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”

Why Last Minute Shoppers Increasingly Trust Only Amazon

Trust and speed are a powerful combination. JL

Karen Weise reports in the New York Times:

Amazon’s share of e-commerce sales tends to drop around Thanksgiving, and usually peaks about one week before Christmas — just enough time for packages to be delivered before the holiday. Amazon’s quick delivery times may contribute to its popularity at Christmastime. In the days leading up to Christmas, Amazon’s share of online sales will increase by 50%,  to half of all digital sales while most rivals fade. “Amazon has just built up its reputation around rapid fulfillment incredibly well. Customers really trust Amazon’s fulfillment offerings.”