by Claudine Zap When Google announced the launch of its new mobile phone, Nexus One , it wanted to make waves. It probably didn't expect to ruffle the likes of the literary set. Philip K. Dick 's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett , says that the phone's name is swiped from one of her dad's most famous novels â€" and is a clear infringement. Sound far-fetched? Let's examine the evidence. As reported by the Wall Street Journal , Dick's novel " Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Mike Krumboltz " Avatar " is on top of the box office heap, and looks to be there for a long, long time. But there is a least one area where James Cameron's blockbuster isn't dominating - action figures. For a sci-fi epic filled with wild-looking aliens, you'd think the action figures would be rocking the Search box. However, over the past week, "Avatar" action figures only scored enough Web lookups to take fourth place. Below,

by Mike Krumboltz Mariah Carey is a hugely successful singer. And after her acclaimed performance in " Precious ," folks are starting to forgive her for " Glitter ." But just because a diva can sing and act doesn't mean she can give a speech that makes sense. At Tuesday night's Palm Springs Film Festival , Ms. Carey took the stage to accept an award for Breakthrough Actress. However, anyone expecting eloquence was in for a bit of a surprise. Once she was in front of the mic,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. 3D TV )Searches increased by 4,571%(. The future is now: 3D could be coming to your TV . Cadbury )+782%(. Kraft is making a hostile takeover bid for the British chocolate company. Vanity Fair and Tiger Woods )+126%(. A shirtless Tiger photo from 2006 rules the new magazine cover . Sushi recipe )+122%(. Yes, even you can make raw fish rolls at home . Kathy Griffin )+110%(.

by Mike Krumboltz Roughly 99.9% of the time, airport delays are completely unremarkable. And that's a good thing. But every so often something kind of cool happens while delayed passengers play with their Blackberries and grumble about missed connections. Such was the case this past weekend, when a singer took it upon himself to lead some stranded passengers in a group sing-a-long of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles.

by Claudine Zap Spoiler alert: " Lost " may find a happy ending after all, at Disneyland . That is, if some hardcore fans of both the happiest place on earth and the weirdest show on TV have anything to say about it. A petition for a "Lost" island attraction to replace Tom Sawyer Island has gone viral on the Web. It is making the rounds among those feeling a sense of, well, loss, at the idea that their beloved TV show will go dark as of May 2010.

by Mike Krumboltz Casey Johnson was just 30 years old when she was found dead in L.A. on Monday; reps say she passed away of natural causes. The young socialite's death has sparked a slew of headlines and Web searches. Ms. Johnson was no stranger to the public eye and to controversy. An heiress to the Johnson & Johnson company fortune, her father was New York Jets owner Robert Wood Johnson. Mr. Johnson purchased the Jets in 2000 for $635 million.

by Vera H-C Chan A few years ago, it was all about cleansing. Last year, dosing on antioxidants )notably the  açaí berry ( was the hot way to lose weight. This year...fast foods? Every new year, online searches invariably spike for old diet standbys like South Beach and Atkins, but the newest fad under investigation is the so-called Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet. Except, cautions the fast-food diet infomercial that premiered during the gluttonous holiday season,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Kim Raver )Searches increased by 36,305%(. The "24" actress is taking up residence at "Grey's Anatomy" as a series regular . Beautifulpeople.com )+1,186%(. Ugly truth: 5,000 Canadians were kicked off the dating site for hotties. Reason: They gained too much weight over the holidays. Janet Napolitano )+1,148%(.

by Mike Krumboltz He's played God , the president of the United States , and Nelson Mandela . Now Morgan Freeman has a new role â€" master of ceremonies. Starting with Monday night's broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric , it'll be Mr. Freeman's voice introducing Ms. Couric. Prior to Mr. Freeman landing the gig )a pretty sweet one, if you ask us(, Ms. Couric was introduced by the late Walter Cronkite . Though Cronkite died six months ago, his voice was kept on,

by Claudine Zap It's the start of a new year, a new decade, and news of newborns. First comes the news, then the storm of searches on the Web for pictures of the newly famous newbies. )Who can forget the madness around Brangelina 's twins? Or the constant baby cam on Suri Cruise ?( The announcement of Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alva 's new arrival caused searches to surge 800% over the newborn. Chris Robinson , Kate Hudson 's ex,

by Mike Krumboltz James Cameron's " Avatar " continues to bring in big bucks at the box office. Still, not everybody is a fan. Some moviegoers are concerned that the movie is full of too many cigarette-smoking techno-phobes. Confused? Read on. Does "Avatar" make smoking seem sexy or cool? In an article from the New York Times , the director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education explains that "Avatar" seems to be "pro smoking.

by Mike Krumboltz Over the holidays, you may have noticed friends and family members asking if such-and-such side dish was "gluten-free." And, you, perhaps perplexed, might have answered with this completely understandable reply: "What the heck is gluten?" Well, wonder no more. Here's the scoop on the latest in ostracized ingredients. Gluten is "a mixture of plant proteins occurring in cereal grains, chiefly corn and wheat, used as an adhesive and as a flour substitute.

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Homemade pancake recipe )Searches increased by 2,204%(. For the truly ambitious in the morning. Here's a simple one from the Food Network . Matthew McConaughey )+838%(. The actor and his girlfriend, Camila Alves, announced the birth of their second , Vida Alves McConaughey. Chad Ochocinco )+508%(. Despite Ochocinco's trash talk , the Bengels could not pull off a win against the Jets.

by Vera H-C Chan 2009 was a tough year, and by some accounts )and polls(, we've had a tough decade, if not longer. So little wonder we're looking forward to 2010 online. The searches on Yahoo! have been straightforward: a 2010 calendar, some upcoming sports events, advance holiday planning, and a couple hints on what's next. Here now,

by Claudine Zap " Sherlock Holmes " the movie is not Sherlock Holmes, the " Masterpiece Theatre " miniseries. PBS types, consider yourselves warned. Guy Ritchie 's controversial take on the British super-detective as superhero is no accident. Here's the backstory . Basically, a producer on the project wanted to present Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's storybook creation in a new way: more action-hero than ace detective. According to the Hollywood Reporter ,

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. After Christmas sales 2009 )Searches increased by 712%(. Get on your track shoes and get ready to score some deals . "Sex and the City 2" trailer )+668%(. The gals are back, on camels . What is this, " Ishtar "? Eggnog )+489%(. 'Tis the season . Giant squid )+480%(. The good people of Northern California are apparently being visited by one very large sea creature . Obama Christmas card )+258%(. What,

by Mike Krumboltz You've opened the presents, eaten the feast, and expressed your appreciation for everyone around you. Now, it's time to slaughter your loved ones in an intense board or card game. Games are always popular in the Search box, but they really pick up steam around the holidays. After all, there's really no better way to spend quality time with your family than by besting your blood relations in various games of chance. But if you're gonna play games,

by Claudine Zap The Senate vote on health care reform brings the bill one step closer to a final deal. But if there's one thing everyone can agree on, it's that health reform is really, really complicated. Here, we break it down with a Buzz roundup on top questions that the Web wants to know. What is the health care bill? The Senate bill ensures that almost every American is guaranteed affordable health care, regardless of income or health. Currently,

by Vera H-C Chan Early Christmas Eve morning, Senators are due to vote aye or nay on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , otherwise known as their vision of how to reform health care in America. The House wrangled its version last month. While President Obama says the two proposals are 95% "identical ," that 5% difference has spurred some furious negotiations. The bill for the health care reform bill? The House version costs more than a trillion,