Yahoo is handing over the management of its Yahoo Health vertical to Healthline Networks under a broad partnership with the company.

The documentation doesn't explicitly define how YSLOW calculates the response time for each component's in the beacon's 'comps' array, as opposed to the full

clarifying the example: shouldn't [resp] => 1060 be something smaller/quicker than [lt] => 803?

by Claudine Zap

If the world ended tomorrow, Peeps would probably survive. It's a scientific fact that the marshmallow candy, shaped like bright-colored chicks, is indestructible. Which is a good thing in post-apocalyptic scenarios, since they also make a reliable food source, artwork muse, and baking ingredient.

The fun Easter candy with the hecka-long lifespan dates back to the 1950's—and comes with some seriously fun traditions. "Peeple" are getting on the Web to get their sugar fix. Searches in the last week alone for "marshmallow peeps" have sweetened the Search box almost 1,000%. Lookups are also craving "marshmallow peeps recipes," "marshmallow peeps," "peeps dioramas," and "peeps ecards." Here, a roundup of our favorites.

Peep art
The Washington Post, the paper that broke the Watergate scandal—you know, the one that brought down a president? Yeah, they also have a Peeps contest every year. And competition is stiff. Or should we say, sticky. You can check out the highly detailed dioramas that incorporate the marshmallow candy here. The winner re-created the house elevated by balloons in the movie "Up." It has to be seen to be believed. Other honorable mentions go to "Super Peepio Brothers" and "Avatar: The 3P Experience." See the entire photo gallery. Our peeps on the Web like their Peeps show: "washington post peeps diorama" searches were "peepular," as were lookups on "peeps dioramas," "peeps diorama contest," and "peeps craft ideas," which all peaked in the Search box. The Post isn't the only Peeps-obsessed paper: According to USA Today, 30 newspapers held Peeps diorama competitions.

Recipeeps
Some prefer their creativity in the kitchen over the art studio. Lucky for them, Peeps can also be a key ingredient. What says Easter more than a Peeps sunflower cake's ingredients (according to the official Peeps website): 3 packages yellow Peeps, 1 package standard boxed cake mix, 2 containers chocolate frosting, 1 bag chocolate chips, 1 tube green icing. Bake, decorate, serve. (Get the full recipe here.) Fans of the baked goods are heating up the Search box over 700% looking for "peeps sunflower cake."

So peepular
If the Web doesn't cut it for your Peeps craze, there's always the Peeps store outside Washington, D.C., which features 850 Peeps products (most of them inedible, like plush toys and Lenox dishware). While there are plenty of fans (Peeps claims 100,000 members belong to its Peeps fan club), the candy has its detractors. (Peeps jousting, anyone?) And then there's that really, really long shelf life, which make them so perfect for doing things like…not eating them. And then there's this: A video from ABC starring Tom Arnolds in a horror movie send-up of evil Peeps. You can watch the video here. Warning: lots of fake blood and gore, and presentation of Peeps in a bad light.

If you don’t get around to baking, eating, or making art with your Peeps this year, fear not. The Peeps will keep.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter

The move, a part of the 10-year global deal between Microsoft and Yahoo, will see the Redmond-based software major expanding its activities in India by adding nearly 200 Yahoo! engineers to its new R&D; (research & development) centre in ...

We mentioned yesterday that Yahoo!’s Tom Wailes took part in a panel discussion called “The Big Picture from the Big Players” at the O’Reilly Where 2.0 conference. The panelists talked about many interesting opportunities in local search, including user participation, social search, and mobile search in the local space. Check out the video to see [...]

DEAR FRIENF   ACCORDING TO YOUR RESEARCH RESULT BY YOUR UNDERSTANDING, I HAVE FEW QUESTION: 1, WHAT IS ETAG? 2. WHATS YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TERMS THAT

by Mike Krumboltz

At theaters this weekend, Miley Cyrus takes another step toward world domination with "The Last Song." It is pointless to resist, but those who insist on trying can check out "Clash of the Titans," starring Sam Worthington instead. Miley's movie opened on Wednesday to mostly negative reviews. Did "Clash" do any better?

Clash of the Titans
Our calendar says April, but "Clash of the Titans" sure feels like a summer blockbuster. Macho star who must overcome insurmountable odds to save the world? Check. CGI dripping from the screen? Yup. Very mixed reviews? Definitely. Here's what discerning critics have to say about the mythical adventure starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and whole lot of special effects.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gives the movie positive marks, especially for the visual effects. Says the Pulitzer Prize winning columnist: "The outcome is told in Clash of the Titans with impressive technical mastery and somewhat lesser dramatic command." In his view, the good outweighs the bad.

Filmcritic.com's Bill Gibron had a similar reaction. He liked (but didn't love) the flick and writes that "it feels like a throwback to the days when high concepts and splashy special effects ruled the day." The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt also enjoyed watching the titans clash, calling the film a "fun digital ride through Greek mythology."

But not everybody is convinced that moviegoers should spend their hard-earned cash to see Liam Neeson bellow out, "Release the Kraken!" For example Claudia Puig of USA Today gives "Clash" just one and a half out of four stars. Clearly unimpressed with the film, she calls it a "wannabe epic" and notes that it has an uncanny ability to be "both chaotic and dull."

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone is even harsher in his assessment. Giving the film just one out of four stars, Travers calls the movie "a sham, with good actors going for the paycheck and using beards and heavy makeup to hide their shame." Travers predicts that Neeson's line about the Kraken will "haunt him for years."

Also opening this weekend...
• "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too" was not screened for critics. Take from that what you will.
• Edward Norton stars as very different twins in "Leaves of Grass." Reviews range from "wacky masterpiece" (Roger Ebert) to "an identical twins comic crime drama (that) goes seriously wrong" (Hollywood Reporter).
• Peter Travers of Rolling Stone writes that "The Greatest," starring Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, "takes a piece out of you." He also praises Mulligan's performance.

Follow us on Twitter

A case study on using the numbers First Choice Ski, part of the TUI Travel group, has just produced a case study of its web analytics efforts in conjunction with Yahoo! Web Analytics.  You can click here to download the PDF version, but here are the highlights from Simon Rigglesworth and Penelope Bellegarde: “We can honestly say that [...]

Yahoo! Developer Events: April 2010. April showers us with the usual sprinkling of barcamps, hackdays, pirates, and conferences.... Wait...pirates? she asks, as visions of Jack Sparrow dance in her head... Read on, matey! ...

Yahoo Sports and Yahoo News results get a makeover.

by Mike Krumboltz

This is not an April Fools' Day joke. Census forms are due today for almost all citizens of the United States.

The due date, well publicized on commercials and print advertisements, has led many to wonder of the consequences of not filling out their form. Web searches on "what happens if I don't fill out my census" are on the rise, as are related lookups on "is it against the law not to fill out census." Wondering yourself? Here are answers, straight from the official source (PDF), Census.gov.

Is it illegal to ignore my Census form?
According to the government, "your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law." Your response is required by "Title 13 section 221 of the United States code." But don't freak out about your personal responses being made public. "Title 13 also requires that the Census Bureau keep respondents' answers confidential." In other words, specific personal data is not revealed.

So, what happens if I don't fill it out?
Men in black suits will appear at your door and take you away, kicking and screaming. Kidding. But, actually, the real answer isn't all that much more appealing. Again, according to census.gov, you could be subject to a monster $5,000 fine. Fortunately, the government views this as a "last resort." Rather than having citizens respond out of a fear of fines, the government is hoping people will "mail it back" to help their community.

What about Census takers?
If you don't mail back your responses by April 1, you can expect to be getting a visit from a Census taker in the near future. If you're not there or don't answer, the Census taker will leave a note with information on how to schedule a visit. The Census worker will try to visit up to three times. And yes, you are required by law to talk to the Census taker.

What's in it for you?
Quite a bit, actually. Aside from helping your local community get the federal assistance it is entitled to, states also receive benefits. For example, without an accurate count, a state could receive fewer flu shots than they need and are entitled to. Also, if people don't participate, a state could potentially lose seats in Congress or Electoral votes. That means a smaller voice for citizens. When a city reaches 50,000 citizens, it becomes "easier for a community to qualify for federal funding." Some communities have gone so far as to hold contests to inspire their citizens to get on the ball.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter

We are pleased to introduce a revolutionary new device from the clever minds at FlickrLabs: FlickrPad! Photo sharing just became easier, faster, and more better than ever with our new mobile device: the FlickrPad, a device designed for the 21st Century! Engineered to exacting specifications by our crack research and development team, this hallmark product [...]

Hi, Does anyone know what the expected behavior should be if both etags and max-age is configured on an object? My understanding was that if an object had an

We've packed some great features in the brand new left column on Yahoo! Sports search results pages to help you explore the latest news, commentaries, scores, photos, and videos that matter most to you. …Another cool feature in the left ...

We are unveiling a new look for Yahoo! Sports Search and News Search today, featuring a new layout, handy new filtering tools, related search suggestions and rich results that help you find what you're looking for quickly and seamlessly ...

MediaPost article shows the value of Yahoo! My Display Ads and using search to inform display Riffing on our case study on Value City Furniture (“Getting Your Offline Online”), MediaPost’s Laurie Sullivan writes: “Advertisers have finally begun to consider search retargeting as a way to increase accuracy when targeting ads. They’re still not ecstatic about the increase [...]

I’m sure some of you’ve seen the news about Carol today – especially because it’s running on zomg!. It’s no secret that she lets loose a swear word from time to time. But now the FCC is taking a closer look to see if what she said during a recent TV interview violated current broadcasting standards [...]

by Vera H-C Chan

Soccer superstar David Beckham isn't just missing out on playing the World Cup. He may be giving up his side gig as an underwear model to a "real man more deserving of the job." His possible replacement: pudgy actor Jonah Hill?

The LA Galaxy midfielder seems happy about this possible job swap. The idea apparently came about last summer, when he ducked into a nearby Target after a wardrobe malfunction forced him to get some emergency Hanes. While in the dressing room, he spotted Hill trying out orange gym shorts. Beckham had never met the young comedian before, but had caught foul-mouthed performance in "Superbad."

"A light bulb just went off in my head," Beckham said. "I thought, that's how a real man looks in underwear. Not some chiseled excuse of a Greek God, but an honest-to-goodness, five-burgers-a-day American."

Beckham, still in his tighty whities, walked up to Hill to introduce himself and asked for his contact information. The flabbergasted Hill didn't know what to think at first.

"I mean, David Beckham comes up and asks for your name and number. What do you say?" says Hill, who texted the soccer player there and then. He was shocked when Armani spokesperson April Phuells text him two days later about a modeling contract.

Test shoots are set up for early next week. If the undies fit, Hill could be baring nearly all in a billboard near you. Hope that image makes your April First.

 

Follow us on Twitter

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Madonna and Lourdes (Searches increased by +2,249%). The style icon famous for wearing underwear as outerwear just wishes her daughter would dress more conservatively. And no, the irony is not lost on her.
2. Vanity Fair (+987%). A new story in the May issue claims that sports greats Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley encouraged Tiger Woods's bad behavior.
3. April Fool's jokes (951%). Google changes name to Topeka. Starbucks introduces new sizes Plenta and Micra. More fun ones.
4. New York Auto Show (+168%). The car show is offering test drives of the newest electric vehicles.
5. Code Pink (+159%). First Karl Rove is heckled at his own book signing. Then an anti-war activist tries to arrest him.

Follow us on Twitter

by Mike Krumboltz

On April 1, anything suspiciously bizarre or interesting is to be taken with a shaker full of salt. Still, a recent comment from Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) has many wondering if he's misguided on gravity and geography or just a very gifted deadpan comedian.

At a March 25 meeting of the Armed Services Committee, of which Rep. Johnson is a member, the esteemed congressman had an interesting discussion with Robert Willard, commander of the United States Pacific fleet. The topic: Guam. Specifically, how an influx of Marines and their families may cause the tiny island to "tip over and capsize."

The comments were delivered without a clear hint of sarcasm or irony, however Rep. Johnson is now insisting through a comment issued by a spokesperson that he was simply using a metaphor.

"I was using a metaphor to say that with the addition of 8,000 Marines and their dependents -- an additional 80,000 people during peak construction to the port on the tiny island with a population of 180,000 -- could be a tipping point which would adversely affect the island’s fragile ecosystem and overburden its already overstressed infrastructure."

Maybe so, but Commander Willard responded to the question with the utmost sincerity. His answer to Rep. Johnson's concerns over Guam capsizing like a lily pad playing host to an obese frog (our words)...

"We don’t anticipate that. The Guam population, I think, currently about 175,000, and again, with 8,000 marines and their families, it’s an addition of about 25,000 more into the population."

We're inclined to give Rep. Johnson the benefit of the doubt, but many Web searchers aren't so sure. After news of the bizarre exchange hit the Internet, online lookups for "hank johnson guam" and "guam sinking" both roared to life. The odd comment and clarification have also proven irresistible fodder for talk radio hosts, notes Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Jim Galloway.

Below, a clip of the exchange. Concerns over Guam's ability to stay literally or figuratively afloat occur at around the 1:18 mark.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter

Greenpeace Calls on Facebook, Yahoo to Use Renewable Energy. Greenpeace has urged big players like Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo to put renewable energy to use in powering their data centers. The group states that the electricity ...

Which static components are you having a problem with? It looks like they are all doing fine except for the ones that go through timthumb.php

NCR Corp., one of the biggest suppliers of point-of-sale and customer self-service systems to retailers, is aggressively pursuing big online merchants for what it contends are multiple e-commerce patent violations.

Hi Everyone, I have a problem with Expire header. There are 9 static components without a far-future expiration date. I dont know hoe to fix the expire header.

Yahoo! Inc., which is one of the oldest Internet entities and at one time enjoyed the status of being a the king of the Internet has in the recent times been.

In the next 30 days, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) will be shutting down Publisher Network. Yahoo! is recommending people to switch to Chitika as a result of the shut down. It is strange why Yahoo! is asking people to switch to Chitika ...

Hello Everyone, I have a problem with CDN integration.... i have a bucket explorer for expire header its not work properly. I dont know how to fix Specify

Having taken a good whack at Google Inc ., Chinese intruders are now targeting Yahoo Inc ., along with human rights activists and Western journalists using Yahoo e-mail. Backed by the government or not, we can't say.

Decision does not affect large, direct publishers and partners, nor advertisers using Content Match Earlier today, Yahoo! emailed a small group of publishers participating in the Yahoo! Publisher Network self-service beta program (also known as “YPNO” or “Yahoo Publisher Network Online”), to inform them that we have decided to close the program effective April 30, 2010. [...]

by Claudine Zap

Just in time to skip out of work and spend the day joy riding comes news that the "choice" Ferrari 250GT Spyder California featured in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is on the auction block.

The English auction house Bonhams is selling the car that starred in the 1986 John Hughes classic movie. The plot, for those of you who haven't watched it in awhile, features three high school students (led by a fearless Matthew Broderick) who hatch an elaborate plan to cut school for a day. The fire-red convertible (taken without permission, natch) serves as the teens' freedom ride from the Chicago suburbs into the city. Hilarity ensues. But not for the car, which is badly abused in the movie and—spoiler alert—the Ferris-mobile (not the one being auctioned, we assume) ends up being pushed off a cliff and totaled.

Ferrari fans will be happy to know that no actual Ferraris were injured in the making of the movie. The car is actually a souped up MG with a fiber glass body that can pass as its more expensive counterpart. Turns out, so few of the actual make were made, it would have been way too expensive to buy one for the set. (They apparently go for $10 million .) But if movie memorabilia is your thing, then this is your car. And if you need a place to park it, consider the glass house featured in the film, still on the market at the reduced price of $1.8 million. Really, a steal.

If you are the lucky winner behind wheel, you'd have the the added benefit of Ferris Bueller's endorsement: Matthew Broderick's character says in the movie: "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

And he's not kidding: This car doesn't run cheap. The auction house, which will start bidding for the drive-ready auto on April 19, expects the winner to shell out a whopping $67,000. If that's a little rich for your blood, you can always rent the movie.

Follow us on Twitter

by Vera H-C Chan

The buzzword for March? Reform, whether it was about health care or moral failings. Meanwhile, sports fans who didn't want to get involved in politics or celebrity scandals, escaped to the fairy tale-upsets in the NCAA. Below, beware the buzz of March.

How's your health care bill?
For the White House, passing the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act was so momentous, Joe Biden's potty mouth could get a pass too. The vice president's expletive-laced victory whisper wasn't the only slip provoked by the contentious bill (for instance, Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer's "baby killer" outburst). Whatever the reaction, searches exploded on March 21, when the House passed the $2.5 trillion package. By the time President Obama signed the bill two days later, the searches had dropped off by a third. Still, when comparing signing-day searches for this administration's many other executive orders and bills, health care reform comes in third, after Cash for Clunkers (extended Aug. 7, 2009) and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (February 17, 2009). Now the work really begins—for those opposed and in favor.

Other women
In 2009, it was all about scorned political wives speaking out. In 2010, the trend seems to be the Other Woman getting lots of print. That's a mixed blessing for the people searching for sordid details. Rielle Hunter, paramour of John Edwards, got her spread in GQ. Tattooed marvel Michelle McGee, paramour of Jesse James, gave In Touch Weekly the post-Oscars scoop that sent America's sweetheart Sandra Bullock into hiding after a combo Razzies-Oscar victory. Joslyn James, paramour of Tiger Woods, released some one-sided texts just after the golfer announced his re-entry at the Master's—plus another four of his alleged dalliances get some Vanity Fair time. Meanwhile, the men repent and rehab (yes, it's become a verb. Right now).

Mad Hoops
A strong sports year continued with the return of the NCAA tournament. Forget March Madness: Sheer havoc was played on brackets, as Cinderella teams (called for their long-shot to win) upset higher-seeded opponents. The Final Four has come down to Duke, Michigan State, Butler and West Virginia. The women's tournament has been getting better attention this year, although the powerhouse UConn still set to claim their destiny to take home the title.

Search Terms with the Biggest Percentage Changes Amber Dubois (19,504%). More than a thousand attended the late teen's memorial. Police may have a suspect. DWTS 2010 cast (+17,023%). The ABC celebrity dance competition debuted to its biggest numbers ever. Michele Bachmann (+13,774%). The Minnesota Republican rep continues the call to protest against health care reform. Corned Beef Recipe (+13,106%). Happy St. Patrick's Day. Chaz Bono (+11,244%). The daughter (now son) of Cher and the late Sonny Bono formally asked for his name and gender be legally changed. HBO The Pacific (+11,244%). The miniseries debuted to good reviews. Irish Blessing (+9,891%). Happy St. Patrick's Day. Corey Feldman (+9,517%). The actor mourned the loss of his long-time friend. Corey Haim (+9.439%). The troubled '80s star died unexpectedly, and the investigation continues. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo (+8,383%). The Norwegian movie, based on the posthumously-published bestseller, gets an American run.

Biggest Search Terms NCAA Brackets American Idol Wolfman Lady Gaga Sandra Bullock Miley Cyrus Dancing with the Stars Kim Kardashian Twilight Eclipse Beyonce

Follow us on Twitter

Expecting an iPad on Saturday, or maybe getting ready to stand in line? We just launched HTML5 video playback for everyone with a hankering for a shiny, new iPad. The big screen of this device will allow you to indulge your desire to see, explore and consume Flickr photos and video. If you’re visiting Flickr from [...]

Defining search at the industry’s biggest annual conference Yahoo! played a key part in several panels in the 2010 Search Engine Strategies Conference (SES) in New York this week. The Yahoo! Search blog offers a recap of some of the discussions and panel summaries. — The Team

by Mike Krumboltz

Think President Obama was embarrassed when Joe Biden uttered the mother of all swearwords at the health reform signing ceremony? Think again. The Obama machine is actually selling t-shirts emblazoned with the saying, "Health Reform is a BFD." Embrace you inner potty mouth, people.

Follow us on Twitter

Technology and free speech; Yahoo’s behavioral targeting patent; your brand butler, optimize display with search, and more Exporting values “As companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter push their technologies around the world,” writes the San Francisco Chronicle’s Benny Evangelista. “Recent events show that they’re not just exporting the latest in online tools, but a basic tenet [...]

An unknown number of Yahoo! (YHOO) email accounts have been hacked in China and Taiwan recently, according to Reuters. Some belong to journalists, including one from The New York Times. A reporter for the paper, Andrew Jacobs in Beijing ...

Challenged by ROI requirements but bolstered by social media marketing, the search engine marketing industry is predicted to grow by $2 billion in 2010 Search engine marketing in North America already is valued at $14.6 billion, but a new report from the non-profit Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization  (SEMPO) estimates the industry will grow 14 percent [...]

The YUI team is pleased to announce the release of YUI 3.1.0. Highlights of this release include the following: Component infrastructure — The Widget infrastructure for YUI 3 is now largely in place. Satyen Desai has been focused on this work over the past several months, and the approach he discussed at YUICONF 2009 is now fully [...]

by Mike Krumboltz

April 1 is the only day of the year when deceit and pranks are not just tolerated, but encouraged. Interest in the "holiday" is palpable in the Yahoo! Search box. Web lookups for "best april fools day pranks," "how to trick a friend," and "funny april fools day tricks" are all making more noise than an overinflated whoopee cushion.

But if you ask us, the most interesting prank-related query is this: April Fools' Day history. Would-be Allen Funts clearly want to know why everybody is allowed to lie to each other on the first day of April. Here's the scoop...

There are several theories regarding the origin of April Fools' Day, and none of them are 100% definitive. However, one does stand above the rest: The Museum of Hoaxes explains that in 1564, King Charles IX of France passed a law that changed the beginning of the year from April 1 to January 1.

News of the change traveled slowly. Those who were either misinformed or slow to make the adjustments still celebrated the New Year on April 1. As a result, they were mocked and pranks were pulled.

The urban legend experts at Snopes.com note that several other theories are worth considering. Some believe that the day falls on April 1 because of the arrival of spring, when "nature 'fools' mankind with fickle weather." Another possibility: The holiday "is thought to commemorate the fruitless mission of the rook (the European crow), who was sent out in search of land from Noah's flood-encircled ark."

Regardless of the origin, people show no signs of giving up the tradition. The number of Web searches for "april fools day prank ideas" are scary high. Everyone (and especially parents) should be on the lookout. That "$1,000 cell phone bill" your daughter hands you might not be the real McCoy. 

To help out the gullible and easily tricked, we rounded up some of the most popular prank ideas from Yahoo! Search. Also worth checking out: some of the best online pranks ever, from Christian Science Monitor (remember Facebook's "LivePoke" feature?). Keep your guard up, suckas...

 

1. Office April Fools Day Pranks
2. Easy April Fools Day Jokes
3. April Fools Day Phone Calls
4. Computer Pranks
5. Prank Call Soundboard
6. April Fools Food Pranks
7. School April Fools Pranks
8. Pranks to Pull on Teacher
9. April Fools Day Texts
10. April Fools Pranks for Boyfriends

 

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter

"They're surrendering the war long after all the troops have been pulled off the battlefield."

by Vera H-C Chan

All that talk about fun is over on "American Idol" and thank goodness for that. The week's theme was R&B;, and singer Usher showed up to tell the Top 10 contestants how to "own their moment" on the Fox reality show.

Usher, seeking a comeback himself, schooled the wannabe idols on how to claim the stage—just in time. Like every season, a bunch of johnny-come-latelies tune in when the "Idol" touring group has been decided. Right on cue Tuesday night, the "Idol" audience swelled to check out the Season 9 crop and help slow the ratings downslide.

While not stellar, the Top 10 bucked up under Usher's tutelage. Some even delivered what judge Simon Cowell asked for week after week: to create a moment. But what kind of moments did the newbies see Tuesday night?

• Mini Magnus 'tude quake: A normally mellow Siobhan Magnus pouting backstage after judge Kara DioGuardi says the singer was "concentrating [too much] in the moment" to build towards her signature high notes, rather than on the song itself.

• Sympathy for the bedeviled: Didi Benami resisting host Ryan Seacrest's calculated efforts to dredge up her dead friend's memory, which still prompted searches for "ryan seacrest and didi benami," "american idol didi benami why upset" and "how did didi benamis friend die." Her clamped-down performance may still push her towards the exit, but now she can leave with dignity.
• 
  
• Metamorphosis: Lee DeWyze impressing Usher, who later turns into a reality-TV Confucius when he advises, "Collect the moment, kid, because it's just becoming history as you know it." Not to be outdone, Cowell turns into an oracle and predicts DeWyze's breakout performance of "Treat Her Like a Lady" will change his life. DeWyze breaks out of his shell despite walking pneumonia...or because of, who knows.
• 
  
• Mom's the word: Andrew Garcia restoring his cred with a gentle take on Chris Brown's "Forever." During the mentoring session, Usher takes off his celebrity shades to make eye contact and calm Garcia's nerves. The singer also may attract the Mom vote: Host Ryan asked his excited momma (in zebra print) to respond to Cowell's critique that her son seemed "boring." Garcia makes petrified pleas from the stage for his mother to play nice, and later was a good boy and said he loved his momma.
• 
  
• No guitar strings attached: Frontrunner Crystal Bowersox shedding the guitar for a piano and later a stand-up vocal. The maneuvering makes the unflappable mom a little awkward, and a concerned Cowell says she's "incredible at moments" but advises against big changes.

 

So how do these moments stack up for "Idol" fans? We've said this time and again, but the decision on who makes it come down to the women — as in, female viewers aged 24-54. There are many other factors (tweens, southerners) that can't be discounted. Still, compare the online Search rankings of the Top 10 — the global audience versus the ladies.

*includes searches for "andrew garcia straight up."

Follow us on Twitter

From the Map Kibera project, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, widely known as Africa’s largest slum, remains a blank spot on the map. Without basic knowledge of the geography and resources of Kibera it is impossible to have an informed discussion on how to improve the lives of residents. Using data collected by Map Kibera, a map has [...]

Inspired by Matt & Kim's "Lessons Learned" video where the group undresses in Times Square, Erykah Badu disrobes as she walks down a busy street midday.

by Mike Krumboltz

Think sharks are scary? They're downright cuddly compared to the Bathynomus giganteus, a very terrifying (and very real) sea creature that recently surfaced from the deep.

See Flickr photos of the creature. (Warning: May give you nightmares.)

So, what the heck is it? According to an article from Fox News, the Bathynomus giganteus (henceforth known as "Bart") is a type of giant isopod, "a large crustacean that dwells in deep Atlantic and Pacific waters." It passes the time by feeding on "dead whales, fish, and squid."

Ol' Bart attached itself to a submarine that was exploring the ocean floor. When the sub surfaced, people got an unexpected look at the slithery stowaway. The creature is a pinkish in color, two and a half feet long, and wouldn't be out of place in an Ed Wood movie (no offense, Bart).

The story was originally posted on Reddit by a guy who works for the submarine company. It quickly went viral from there. Once news of the creature's existence hit, Web searches immediately soared. Online lookups for "sea creature found," "giant isopod," and (our personal favorite) "terrifying sea creature" all roared.

It's worth noting that the existence of the Bathynomus giganteus isn't, in and of itself, a surprise. Scientists have long been aware of them. The shock came from seeing one up close in all its cockroach-like glory. Can't. Look. Away.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Rachel Weisz (Searches increased by +5,584%). There's talk that the beautiful and talented actress could be the next James Bond villain.
2. Lollapalooza (+975%). The festival is being a tease about which acts will perform.
3. Transformers 3 (313%). The latest in the series will be filmed on the streets of Chicago.
4. Scientology (+282%). Controversial allegations are surfacing over beatings by church members.
5. iPhone for Verizon (+278%). Apple is developing its phone for another network...maybe.

Follow us on Twitter

Yahoo is shutting down its Publisher Network effective April 30.

Mar. 31, 2010 - The attacks on Google GMail servers, allegedly by the Chinese government, have gotten a lot of press lately, ultimately leading to Google pulling out of.

And continue to ramp up their original content. Sounds familiar.