Prediction: Top 10 Search Terms of 2008Prediction: Top 10 Search Terms of 2008

The big search engines recently released their top search terms for 2007. They ranged from Paris and Britney to the iPhone and MySpace.

Ho-hum.

Just about what you'd expect: Skanky celebutantes, has-been teen queens, geeky accessories, and scatterbrained networking sites. (See below for the complete top 10 lists from Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com.)

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The exciting question is, what can we expect to be the hot search terms to be in 2008? Well, here are some off-the-cuff -- and off- the-wall -- predictions:

1. Solar Energy and/or Hand Cranked Power
As energy prices continue to spike, we approach the moment of "Peak Oil" and alarmists warn of an impending shortage of energy. Attention will turn from our cool laptops and handhelds to ways to supply them with the juice they need to do their thing. For some, that will mean solar energy. For others, it will mean a digital version of the wind-up toys of our youth.

2. Hillary or Obama or Mitt or Rudy or Whoever
We're going to elect a new president in 2008, and given the wide range of candidates, once the primaries get going, this election could very well grab the attention of the country. Hey, let's hope people care enough to try an occasional Web search. Me, I'm hoping the Republicans come up with some combination of Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, only because I'm picturing a possible bumper-sticker: "Vote for the Fred Paul ticket!" I mean, that's basically... ME! (No relation.)

3. Second Life
I'll admit that I'm not a fan. But sometimes you just can't fight the buzz. More and more people are abandoning their "first" lives to cavort with other avatars in this fantasy world. Of course, take a close look at many people's "real" lives, and it's not so hard to understand why. And it's wayyy cooler than MySpace.

4. Wii-itis
Yes, this is a real term. It seems that kids and adults playing Nintendo's game system wave their arms around a lot. And for some of the more sedentary types, this can cause injuries. As Wii's become easier to find, I expect this ailment to achieve mainstream status.

5. Arctic Cruises and Northwest Passage
The Panama Canal is so-o-o 2007. Now that the Arctic ice cap is expected to break up during the summer months, adventurous travelers will be seeking out the latest cruise-ship routes. There will be a surge of searches for bookings to be the first to cruise the Ice Princess from New York to Seattle via Canada. You may not even need to bring a sweater.

6. iPhone 3G
Sure, the iPhone looks cool. But even something that pretty can get stale as you wait endlessly to download a Web page over AT&T's pokey EDGE network. If Steve Jobs comes through as expected and announces an iPhone that will work on a fast third-generation wireless network, the Apple faithful will be searching everywhere for one.

7. Battlestar Galactica
Forget Heroes. If you've got cable, this brainy, morally complex, and very grown-up drama should be your fan-boy sci-fi favorite. The latest TV movie, called "Razor," was a return to the series' top form and the new season is scheduled to start in March. Wild-card: If the Hollywood writers' strike goes on too long, TV shows may not be at the top of anyone's list for anything. So say we all.

8. Bird Flu
Here's one search term that I'm hoping won't be popular, but I'm not "feeling lucky." I'm worried that some pandemic or other is likely to make big news in 2008. Even if it turns out to be a bust like the SARS scare, fear generates a lot of online activity.

9. Foreclosure Assistance
This one's a no-brainer. And probably a business opportunity for some enterprising entrepreneurs.

10. Boston Sports
It actually hurts to type this, but somehow Beantown finds itself the The Hub of the sports world. With the World Series Champion Red Sox, the undefeated (for now) Patriots, and the Best-Record-In-Basketball Celtics, it's becoming difficult for New Englanders to find anything to whine about. Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be busy Googling to find out who put the HGH in the municipal drinking water.

11. Bonus Prediction: Jessica Alba's Kid
Now that the Dark Angel/Fantastic 4 star is preggers, the endless searches for her bikini pictures may take a bit of a rest. But watch out when her first-born becomes 2008's Suri Cruise.

Click to see the most popular search terms of 2007 from three top search engines.