search phrase

During December, all self-respecting search engines produce an overview of the most popular search terms of the past year.

These lists give insight into recent trends, and in 2011 Rebecca Black, Google Plus and Ryan Dunn were the fastest rising searches on Google.

The Hurt Locker has been a great success on BitTorrent, before and after its Oscar triumph. The film’s screener leaked in February of last year, months before it premiered in movie theaters in the United States.

However, the demand on BitTorrent went up significantly after it was chosen as the Best Picture of 2009

Google traditionally remixes its logo to celebrate notable birthdays, scientific achievements, world events and other key date

This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups.

If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.