Every year, millions of people use Google to find answers, search for news, and ask the anonymous search engine what they may not ask their friends. While your specific searches are still anonymous, Google's 'Year in Search' report is out, and it shows what we've all been looking for in 2019.
Google searches for "how to become a first responder" hit an all-time high in the U.S. during Hurricane Dorian, the strongest tropical storm to hit the Bahamas. Global searches for "climate change" also reached a record high and the Women's World Cup was one of the most-searched-for terms worldwide. Additionally, searches for "sheroes" shot up by 150 percent, and "first female spacewalk" trended around the world.
"In 2019, the world found heroes," Simon Rogers, Google News Lab's Data Editor, wrote. "We found heroes at the box office, where Avengers: Endgame was the top-trending movie around the world."
But Disney+ took the highest honors. The 1-month-old streaming service was the top-trending search term of the year in the U.S., followed by actor Cameron Boyce and rapper Nipsey Hussle, both of whom died this year, Hurricane Dorian, and embattled former NFL star Antonio Brown.
Google's lists are based on search terms that had the highest compared to the year prior. Search terms are divided by region and category and differ year-to-year, but Justin Burr, Google trends expert, told Cheddar the lists show "where we are as a society."
With the end of the decade upon us, this year's list also included a comparison to 2010's trending data. Justin Bieber appeared on both lists: in 2010 he was the top trending musician when his My World 2.0 album was released and in 2019 he was trending in the "weddings" category.
Burr said Google collects data through anonymized searching, like the time of day most searches occur or where people use Google, so the company doesn't collect data on specific behavior.
He said the U.S. government shutdown was one of the top trending topics in the news, but President Donald Trump did not make the cut this year. "We look at what is specific to that year," he said. "So, in 2016, Donald Trump was trending but he wasn't trending this year because we were looking at things that were specific to this year."
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
