Google Launches 'Hot Trends' Service

Google on Tuesday rolled out a new service designed to provide instant insight into what people are searching for in different areas of the world. "Hot Trends," currently in testing on Google Labs, combines the company's Zeitgeist and Google Trends features.

The Hot Trends list is updated throughout the day and links to Google News, blog and Web searches so users can see why the search term made the list. Google is not simply listing the most popular search queries, but rather those that deviate from their typical frequency. As a result, seemingly odd searches make the list, such as "legless chihuahua." Currently, many of the Hot Trends relate to XM Satellite Radio's outage.