Death, Disease, Money, and Twitter on Bing
December 1, 2009
Microsoft's Bing has revealed a top ten list of the most popular trending topics of 2009. To determine these, Bing analyzed billions of search queries and developed the list based on searches made with the Bing search (I mean decision) engine.
"Not surprisingly, we saw a lot of folks using Bing for quick access to favorite sites like Facebook, MSN, Youtube and Craigslist," says Bing Geneal Manager Danielle Tiedt. "We also saw a lot of more complex searches such as product related queries in which people used Bing to help decide what MP3 player to buy and travel searches to help find the best deals on a tropical vacation."
Here is the list Bing came up with:
1. Michael Jackson
2. Twitter
3. Swine Flu
4. Stock Market
5. Farrah Fawcett
6. Patrick Swayze
7. Cash for Clunkers
8. Jon and Kate Gosselin
9. Billy Mays
10. Jaycee Dugard
As you can see, dead celebrities took a lot of searchers' time this year (and there certainly were a lot to pass away in '09). It is no surprise that Twitter was high on the list. It has been a huge year for the company. With H1N1 and the economy dominating the news for much of the year, it is also unsurpsing to see terms like "swine flu," "stock market," and "cash for clunkers" on the list.
As a bonus, Bing provided a "sneak peek" at the top celebrity searches on Bing in 2009. The top three were Perez Hilton, followed by Robert Pattinson, and Megan Fox.
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Google Tries To Save You From Swine Flu
November 11, 2009
The media frenzy over swine flu may have died down a little since earlier this year; it's no longer a top headline on every other news site, at least. But people remain extremely concerned about it (anyone care to guess how many tons of hand sanitizer have been sold?), and Google's trying to help out by pointing them towards flu shots.
A post on the Official Google Blog announced this afternoon, "We've been working with [the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health agencies to gather information on flu vaccine locations across the country, particularly for the H1N1 flu vaccine . . . . At the moment we have data for locations of flu vaccine directly from 20 states and counting."
The post then added, "We are also continuing to add information from chain pharmacies and other providers in all 50 states; today, you'll find results from chains such as Walgreens, CVS and PDX participants, such as Kmart, Duane Reade, WinnDixie and Giant Eagle."
The new feature seems to work quite well. If you intend to follow through on its suggestions and receive a shot, just call ahead to play it safe. Unless you need to buy some more hand sanitizer, anyway, that is, or perhaps want to pick up a few surgical masks from the corner market.
Have You Read This?
> Google India Closes Office Due To Swine Flu
> YouTube Highlights Global Leaders' Response To Swine Flu
Microsoft Launches H1N1 Flu Website
October 7, 2009
Microsoft has launched a new website, "H1N1 Response Center," which provides people with up to date relevant content and allows them to monitor symptoms and get advice using an H1N1 self-service tool.
The H1N1 Response Center's self-assessment tool is licensed from medical and public health experts at Emory University. The service helps people determine if their symptoms could be caused by the H1N1 flu virus and provides recommendations about what they can do next.
"By providing an at-home tool that can help users evaluate whether they need to see a provider before they head to the hospital, we can encourage those who are severely ill or at risk for serious illness to contact their doctor, and reassure everyone else that it is safe and prudent to recover at home," said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, professor of emergency medicine and an associate dean of the Emory School of Medicine.
"This will reduce the number of people needlessly exposed to H1N1 influenza in crowded clinic and ER waiting rooms, and allow doctors and nurses to focus their attention on those who need them most."
People who decide to seek medical attention can connect their self-assessment results with Microsoft Health Vault, which stores personal health information online.
Google has introduced related services such as its Flu Trends which provides information on the latest flu activity and an iPhone app for swine flu called "Outbreaks Near Me."
Microsoft Introduces My Health Info
October 1, 2009
Microsoft has introduced a new service in beta on MSN called "My Health Info" that helps people manage their health information on the Web.
My Health Info offers users a number of tools and widgets to upload, organize and monitor health information stored in their personal Microsoft HealthVault accounts. The service allows users to research medical issues, read health news, receive advice from medical experts, learn about nutrition, and monitor health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
MSN has also launched a swine flu information center on its health and fitness homepage. Microsoft says it is working with health information providers such as Harvard Medical School and the MayoClinic.com to offer people data about prevention from getting the virus, access risk factors, and find out where to get vaccinations in their local area when they become available.
Other highlights of My Health Info include:
- Customize their page with tools such as allergy, medicine and blood pressure trackers, a lab results bank, body mass index calculators, vaccination information and more
- Use information from personal health devices such as heart-rate monitors and pedometers
- Access profiles of multiple family members at one time, allowing caregivers to more easily manage not only their information, but their family's as well
- Stay informed by receiving the latest in health news from sources they trust
It's worth noting that Google has similar service in beta called Google Health. Getting consumers to look for information on such services will not be the challenge, convincing them to put their personal health information online is another matter.
