the buzz log
The Emperor's New Phone
Steve Jobs knows a thing or two about marketing. The man could stand next to a rack of invisible clothes, and people would still ohh and ahh. Fortunately, Apple's founder and CEO skipped the iPantsuit and announced a new iPhone instead.
For techies, the big news is that this version will have 3G support, which allows for faster web surfing and downloads. For those who don't know a 3G from a TV, the new price was the main attraction. Whereas the original iPhone initially retailed for $599, the new one will start at $199. Sounds good, but as Buzz visitors are learning, it's wise to read the fine print.
Several articles point out that while the physical phone is much cheaper, data plans are now more expensive. According to the Machinest, the iPhone's exclusive service provider, AT&T, will raise its monthly rates by about $10 a month.
Still, with the lower price point, many folks are sure to hop on Apple's bandwagon. Searches on "iphone," "iphone 2.0," and "iphone price" dialed up big gains. But cost-conscious queries on "iphone data plans," "iphone monthly costs," and "prices for iphone plans" were also significant. Are folks wising up to bigger fees? Maybe so, but queries like "buy iphone now" indicate many of Jobs' minions are more than willing to pay up.
Filed under: Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, iPhone
Steve Jobs' Appearance Sparks Concern
When Steve Jobs took to the stage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, he triggered a rush of buzz about the new iPhone. But that's not the only notice he stirred up online.
The Apple CEO looks thin. Very thin. And searchers didn't let it slip by. Alongside a 679% jump in queries for Jobs' name, we also logged spikes in "steve jobs appearance," "steve jobs health," and "steve jobs cancer." That last one, though speculative, is not entirely out of left field. The design guru was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, a fact he didn't disclose until nearly a year later, when he began seeking treatment. (He came through just fine.)
In Buzz, a host of tech sources commented on the digital innovator's appearance. Seeking Alpha described him as "emaciated"; The Street said he's "looking frail." Silicon Alley Insider offered an upbeat possibility: "The most likely explanation... is that Steve permanently changed his diet after his bout with cancer." We hope so. Whatever the reason, we trust the turtlenecked one is healthy and happy. Long may he continue to create sleek new i-toys.
Filed under: Apple Computer, Steve Jobs
Thin Air
Have you ordered your new MacBook Air yet? Search interest in the sexy, skinny laptop jumped 1,522% after it was announced at Macworld on Tuesday. If the queries are any indication of willing buyers, guys aged 13-17 and 25-29 will be lining up to lighten their wallets and computer bags.
Excited folks in New Hampshire, Utah, California, New York, and Hawaii checked out "macbook air," "world's thinnest laptop," and "new macbook 2008." And those skeptical about the hype, as well as the quirky commercials, typed in "mac vs pc."
The keynote address by Steve Jobs gave a boost to other new products and services, like "apple time capsule" and "itunes movie rentals." Even musical guest, Randy Newman, got the attention of searchers.
Many rumormongers thought the big Macworld announcement would be a new version of the iPhone. Searches on "iphone 2," "new iphone 2008," "macworld 2008 iphone," and "macworld 2008 rumors iphone" blew away any other Macworld rumor lookups.
Are you excited about the MacBook Air? Drop us a line in the comments to let us know if we should be getting the plastic out.
Filed under: Computers and Software, Steve Jobs
Showtime at the Apple
Ubiquitous. Captivating. Omnipotent. Do we sing a song of iPod? We could just as well be waxing poetic about CEO Steve Jobs (+347%) and his company Apple (+109%). Buzz on the whole bunch is way up this week.
Jobs recently stepped on stage in a hyped event to announce a suite of new products in Apple's music stable. Jobs unveiled new versions of the iPod video, iPod nano, and iTunes with downloadable movies in the iTunes Music Store. Hype like this seems like a piece of cake (or pie) for Apple and Jobs. The crowds ate it all up and asked for seconds.
Searches for "apple ipod" (+66%), "ipod" (+61%), "ipod nano" (+28%), and "itunes" (+57%) all hit the Buzz charts. Queries for the usual suspects of Apple rumor web sites and gadget blogs also saw jazzed up numbers in Search, with AppleInsider (+104%) and Engadget (+105%) taking top honors.
We probably won't be watching Toy Story on a pretty 2.5-inch screen anytime soon. But from the looks of Search, we could be dancing by ourselves with our measly first generation iPod.
Filed under: Apple Computer, iPod, Steve Jobs
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worst Airports For Delays 2009 | Breakout! |
| 2 | How To Survive A Recession | Breakout! |
| 3 | Ice Cream Calorie Counter | Breakout! |
| 4 | Jayson Williams | Breakout! |
| 5 | Alexandra Kerry | Breakout! |
| 6 | Chaz Bono | 10707% |
| 7 | Kelly Osbourne | 3298% |
| 8 | Jennifer Hudson | 3218% |
| 9 | Nicole Richie | 2075% |
| 10 | Thierry Henry | 1125% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +413 | 1016 |
| 2 | Elizabeth Lambert | -677 | 263 |
| 3 | NFL | +66 | 235 |
| 4 | New Moon | +74 | 213 |
| 5 | Bing | +83 | 209 |
| 6 | Kelly Osbourne | +193 | 199 |
| 7 | Hulu | +7 | 139 |
| 8 | Nicole Richie | +124 | 130 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.