Hurricane, Earthquake Cause Search Spike

Two major natural events affecting much of the United States East Coast occured last week, causing big spikes in searches for on-the-scene and news footage on YouTube. In fact, "Hurricane Irene" was the top rising search on YouTube in the United States over the past seven days.

Below you can see searches for "earthquake" (blue) and "hurricane" (red) over recent weeks:



The last major U.S. spike we saw around the word "hurricane" was back in September of 2008, when Hurricane Ike caused severe damage to the coast of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.

The east coast earthquake also caused a smaller spike in searches last week, but it was still the third largest we've seen for the word "earthquake" since 2008. The largest spike ever came earlier this year following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Second was the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

(Mouse over the spikes to view the correlating earthquake.)



More: Vermont Flood Videos

4 in the Morning: 100 Beyonce Flares

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

100 Years of Style in 100 Seconds	Flaring Up	Gunfire in Syria	Pregnant Beyonce Animated

1. This timetraveling dance through a century of style is a spot for a soon to be opened London shopping center. As seen on Kottke.


2. Redbull's surfers attach flares to their surfboards for some night waves. As seen on SayOMG.


3. Dramatic scene purportedly captured in al-Harrah, Syria where protesters clashed with security forces. Several deaths were reported in the country.


4. Taiwan's NMAWorldEdition takes on Beyonce's pregnancy. As seen on SI.com.

What They're Watching: Amazing Freestyle Soccer Tricks

This post was authored by Michelle Castillo as a part of a YouTube Trends series exploring the videos being watched this week by the team at What's Trending.

They may not make millions, but there’s budding sports stars all over the world with amazing skills that will never be featured on the professional courts.

This street performer uses his surroundings and acrobatic abilities to show off all his soccer ball skills. While you won’t need to climb up a pole in the middle of the pitch, his athleticism is still impressive.



Here are other marvelous athletic feats for you to watch from the comfort of your own computer. Who says you need to buy tickets to the game to enjoy sports?

We don’t want to know the hours of practice that went into making all these shots… and how many
outtakes there must have been to create this compilation.



Dude perfect one upped the beer pong team with these amazing basketball trick shots:



Here’s how to impress people at the local bar:



Who says only boys can pull of great trick shots? Here’s one girl dropping three soccer balls in a trash can.

Today's "What They're Watching" recap provided by

4 in the Afternoon: FireFly Sand

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

912	Worship in Yemen	More Sand	Fly

1. Alec Baldwin gets flammable in the latest edition of New Era's popular series with John Krasinski. As seen on AdWeek.


2. Scores of Yemen worshipers gathered in Sana'a today celebrating Eid al-Fitr.


3. More sand, please. As seen on Videogum.


4. The latest from Nicki Minaj has already drawn over 1 million views and is one of our Most Shared videos.

Around the World: Surprises and Cheers

We know what the U.S. is watching, but here are some of the Most Viewed and Most Shared videos right now in different countries around the world:

CANADA: Viral spot/experiment/prank	EGYPT: Coca-Cola Ramadan Flashmob
AUSTRALIA: Billabong surf highlights	MEXICO: Improv's Werevertumorrow greet a big crowd.

See more of what's popular in different locations nationally and around the world with our Trends Dashboard.

4 in the Morning: Swing Drive Snap

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

The Highest Swing	Driving Underwater	Fireworks in Tripoli	Pole Vault Snap

1. The world's highest swing, located in Queenstown, New Zealand. As seen on Daily Wh.at.


2. This clip of a mishap involving the National Guard in NJ is one of our Most Shared videos.


3. An inside look at what's described as Martyr's Square in Libya Monday, where singing and fireworks marked large celebrations.


4. Things go awry for this pole vaulter in a clip that's among our Trending Videos.

Gaddafi's Hat: 'Zenga Zenga' Gets a Sequel

Auto-tuned news footage is nothing new here in the United States, but it's a trend that's recently also spread popular overseas in some interesting countries. Back in February, "Zenga Zenga" became the viral hit of the Middle East and North Africa and its been seen over 4 million times since then.

Tel Aviv DJ/musician Noy Alooshe created the very popular, mocking remix of Muammar Gaddafi's February speech, which spread from his home country of Israel to a number of other countries in the region. (He also produced a popular alternate version, which does not contain the dancing girls and could potentially be more "palatable" in some areas.)



Now that the tide has changed in Libya, Alooshe released something of a sequel to that video, utilizing an interview clip with a reported Libyan rebel that was widely seen in the days that anti-Gaddafi forces made their way into the heart of Tripoli:

4 in the Afternoon: CrossFly Soul

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Crossfire	Fly in a Web	Philippines Typhoon Flood	Share some Soul

1. Freddie Wong's new nostalgic, special-effects piece is one of the most-viewed videos from the weekend.


2. This July video of a little boy explaining his thoughts on flies in spiderwebs took off this weekend. As seen on HuffPost.


3. Footage from a very flooded Balili river in the Philippines this weekend, which was hit by typhoon Nanmadol.


4. The new KIA Soul ad -- featuring the return of the dancing hamsters -- debuted on the VMA awards last night and is among our Most Shared videos today.

4 in the Morning: Jetski Lazer Cannon

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Jetskiing in Newark	Slingshot Canon	Every Irene News Segment Ever	Kiwi vs. Laser Pointer

1. Amongst the multitude of footage uploaded this weekend from Hurricane Irene was this clip capture in Newark, NJ Sunday. Another angle.


2. The latest contraption from Joerg Sprave's popular Slingshot Channel. As seen on Gizmodo.


3. A comedic short mocking the weekend's hurricane coverage. (Some adult language.) As seen on BuzzFeed.


4. This simple 2008 home video had very few views until this weekend, when it was watched over 100,00 times. As seen on BoY.

Rising Search: Vermont Flood Videos

One of the top spiking search terms on YouTube Sunday night was "vermont flooding irene" as footage began to surface of significant rises in water levels in Vermont in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Other, related video searches that were on the rise included Bennington and Brattleboro, VT, Shelburne falls, MA, and Yonkers, NY.

Spreading Sunday night were dramatic videos of two Vermont covered bridges being destroyed, the Bartonsville Bridge and the Quechee Bridge, respectively embedded below.




(Alternate footage of the Quechee Bridge flooding, which was also a rising search, can be seen here.) Update: Footage of another wrecked bridge in Jamaica, VT has also been posted.

Here's a UPDATED playlist of 15 videos of the major flooding Sunday in New England, beginning with this clip of a car floating by in a powerful current:

Latest Trending Videos: The Week of August 26

Muppets, portals, explosions, and spaghetti: here are 10 of this week's top trending videos from YouTube Trends:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

4 in the Afternoon: Soldier Dentist Space

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Irene from Space	Soldier Surprise	Emile After Dentist	You Got What I Need

1. NASA released new footage Friday of Hurricane Irene taken from the International Space Station.


2. U.S. soldier returns home early to surprise his mother at a UPS sorting facility in Michigan. As seen on Daily Wh.at.


3. Actor Emile Hirsch after having his wisdom teeth removed. As seen on BWE.tv.


4. Kevin Youkilis and a hip-hop star appear in this New England-area spot. As seen on SI.com.

Preparing for Irene

As Hurricane Irene makes landfall in the Southern United States, those in the Northeast and elsewhere have begun preparing for the storm. In the past day or so, we've seen a great many videos regarding the storm that have been uploaded to YouTube.

In fact, roughly 4,000 "Irene"-related videos have been uploaded in the past 24 hours. Many of these videos consist of on-the scene footage -- like those we began receiving late this morning from Jacksonville and North Carolina -- aftermath footage, or clips people have posted of the preparations they're making.

We've seen quite a variety -- from the official to the foul-mouthed and funny. Here's a selection of a few we've come across today:



On a lighter note, searches for a number of songs relating to the storm are sharply on the rise, including "Goodnight Irene," "Rock Me Like a Hurricane," and a certain popular song from 1982 though it's not 100% clear if these are searches specifically for parodies or just searches by people who have mistaken the songs lyrics:

10 Popular Minecraft Song Parodies

In December, we detailed how the computer game Minecraft had become one of the gaming industry's underground hits of 2010. At the time, many of the most popular Minecraft-related videos were clips of some of the incredibly elaborate work being done within its block-building world.

While those types of videos certainly still exist and remain popular, a new Minecraft trend developed in 2011 of people using the game to create music videos parodying some of the biggest pop songs of the year.

Below, we've listed 10 of the most-viewed examples of the trend from the past few months:

(May take a moment to load.)

Earlier this year, Minecraft also saw its first in-game proposal.

4 in the Morning: Back to the Airport

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Back to the Future - Argentina	Airport Rowing Practice	Steve Jobs Animated	The Standoff

1. This viral spot for a South American electronics store is the most-shared video in Argentina today.


2. The UK men's rowing team has some fun in the Munich Airport. As seen on Newslite.


3. The bizarre and confusing Taiwanese CGI biography of Steve Jobs' career. As seen on Gizmodo.


4. From Russia comes this video depicting one of nature's oldest feuds. As seen on VVVs.

4 in the Afternoon: Concept Rugby Stretch

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

iPhone 5 Concept	Irene in Nassau	LEGO Rugby World Cup	Stretching Kitten

1. Geek dream: a concept video for crazy features of a future iPhone. As seen on NextWeb.


2. Videos have been arriving from the Bahamas today of Hurricane Irene. This clip was said to be shot at 10am.


3. Among the Most Shared videos in rugby-loving nations of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand is this LEGO World Cup clip.


4. A tiny Japanese kitten awakes. Stretches. As seen on SayOMG.

Popular in India: Dahi Handi Videos

Mumbai Monday was host to the festival of Janmashtami, a Hindu celebration which features a unique physical competition called the "Dahi Handi." The practice involves creating giant human pyramids in an attempt to smash a clay pot that is hung very high in the air.

Some of the pyramids can reach nine layers tall, and over 300 injuries were reported by Monday evening. A number of videos shot at the festival are among the most-shared in India today and we've pulled together a few of them into the playlist below.

(View full playlist here.)

Top Rising Search: 'Aaliyah'

The top rising search on YouTube this morning is for videos of R&B star Aaliyah Haughton who passed away in a 2001 plane crash at the age of 22. Today marks the 10th anniversary of her passing, which is likely the reason for the search spike.

While many are checking out videos for some of her most popular songs, we've also been seeing many talented Aaliyah fans posting videos of themselves covering their own favorites as a tribute. We've seen at least 50 from the past few days. Here's a selection of 10:

4 in the Morning: Lamprey Symphony

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Symphony Flash Mob	Lamprey Repellant	Irene Causes Flooding	The Slowest Race

1. This unique flash mob performance of Ravel's "Bolero" in Denmark by the Copenhagen Phil has drawn some attention overseas and spreading in the U.S. today on Google+.


2. Michigan State tests a repellant for sea lampreys. As seen on Daily Wh.at.


3. Videos are coming in from the wake of Hurricane Irene. This clip is said to depict the El Nigua River flooding in the Dominican Republic.


4. Tortoise chases man in motorized wheelchair. Among our Trending Videos.

Portal Fan Videos Spill Over into Real World

The most recent big wave of Portal fever may be in the past, but this week, fan-made videos based on the popular video game have been spreading quickly, and many fantasize bringing the game into the real world.

"Portal" searches hit their highest peak back in April, when Portal 2 hit the street, but two new portal clips from its fans are drawing big audiences these past two days. This cinematic, real-life recreation of the game and its lead character has quickly become one of YouTube's most-shared and most-viewed videos, drawing around a million views in just the past day.



This is not the first real-life interpretation of the game, however. In addition to this, some of YouTube's special effects aficionados -- FreddieW and FinalCutKing -- have created popular comedy videos exploring the logistics of owning an actual portal gun:




This week though, a second popular Portal video started to take off as recently as yesterday and may be part of video game proposal trend that seems to be developing:



And let's not forget that puppet from last week.

More: Check out some cool and geeky wedding proposals from earlier this year.

4 in the Afternoon: Pillow Hat Explosion

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Impromptu Pillow Fight	Gaddafi's Hat	Car Explosion	Portal: No Escape

1. One man finds a surprised but willing participant in an unexpected pillow fight. As seen on < a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/impromptu-pillow-fight_n_935233.html" target="_blank">HuffPost.


2. One of the most-viewed pieces of news footage from Libya today comes in the form of this interview from Sky News that's making the rounds.


3. One of our Trending Videos today is this footage of a car exploding as tough fire fighters attempt to extinguish its flames in Los Angeles.


4. Incredibly popular video game Portal gets another very impressive live-action treatment that's among our most-shared videos.

More Videos of the Quake on Camera

As we've already outlined, there was an large reaction to yesterday's east coast earthquake that immediately played out on YouTube in the form of a spike in search interest and an influx of reaction and caught-on-camera videos. Today, more footage accidentally capturing the quake is spreading around the northeast United States.

We examined the most-viewed and most-shared videos in the major cities affected by the earthquake and collected a few more videos of it by people and production crews that just happen to have their cameras rolling when it struck.



Several more videos plus other reactions are available here.

So far, the most popular video to come out of the event was this clip -- which was in our post yesterday -- from a parking lot in Tyson's Corner, Virginia depicting what appears to be one of the few reported instances of major damage from the quake. It's been seen over 250,000 times so far and is among the most-shared and most-viewed videos nationally.

4 in the Morning: 500 Cartmaids

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

500 People in 100 Seconds	Skeetball	Qaddafi’s Golf Cart	iPad Bridesmaid

1. 500 people held over 1,500 photographs to create this dazzling stop-motion short. As seen on Ze Frank.


2. The last video in this "ultimate batting practice," real-or-fake series from Easton is one of the most popular trending videos of the month. As seen on High Definite.


3. Video of what is alleged to be Muammar el-Qaddafi’s golf cart taken from his compound by Libyan rebels.


4. Jamie's friend Rene manages to be her bridesmaid without being able to actually make it to the wedding. As seen on BuzzFeed.

The East Coast Earthquake on YouTube

We're seeing a big spike in searches this afternoon related to the earthquake that struck the east coast. Most of the searches are tied to the regions that felt the tremors including, D.C., Virginia, and New York. Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" is near the top of rising searches as well and is currently the fast rising music search.

As of 6pmET, nearly 2,300 videos tagged with "earthquake" have been uploaded past the previous 24 hours, though it's unclear how many are directly tied to this event. Many of these are reaction videos from people who wanted to share their experience and thoughts immediately following the quake:



We're also seeing a bunch of videos posted from people who happened to have their cameras running for one reason or another when the earthquake hit. Here's a playlist of a few:



Some feel a little less genuine than others. In fact, there are quite a few videos that are being posted poking fun at the "hysteria" around the relatively minor, though very unexpected earthquake.

There are many news videos and reports regarding the quake also hitting YouTube quickly, not all of them professional...

What They're Watching: Memorable Ads

This post was authored by Michelle Castillo as a part of a YouTube Trends series exploring the videos being watched this week by the team at What's Trending.

Advertising is a multimillion dollar business run by the talented men and women who come up with creative ways each day to get us to buy their products. The newest ad that has hit our radar is the “TRON”-themed video for Duck Tape, featuring the one and only TRON guy.



There've been a lot of memorable ads -- for all kinds of reasons -- that have made it to YouTube. Here are some of our favorites.

Does your man smell like this man? Is he on a horse? This Old Spice ad starring Isaiah Mustafa has become legend.



This ad made the rounds for being one of the most misogynistic ads ever created. The advertisers might as well have just made the woman say, “Signs confusing. Can’t drive. Must go back to kitchen.”



For those of you entranced by Rube Goldberg machines, here’s another one for you. And, for all you people out there who doubt it, it’s not CGI.



A commercial this racy would never make it on American airwaves…. hence why it’s French.



And, my personal favorite: The ESPN Ole Miss “Star Wars” spot that will appeal to the football/”Star Wars” fan in you. Who wouldn’t want Admiral Ackbar to be their mascot? He has lasers!

Today's "What They're Watching" recap provided by

4 in the Afternoon: Muppet Portal Fire

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Ok Go and The Muppets	Jorge and Alexa Cover Adele	Branson Home Fire	Portal 2 Proposal

1. OK Go's "Muppet Show Theme Song" collaboration is spreading quickly on social media today.


2. Jorge and Alexa -- of "Home" fame -- deliver another duet cover of a hit song. As seen on The Feed.


3. Richard Branson shot this video of a fire at his home on Necker island. It's one of the most-viewed in Australia today.


4. One fan of the video game Portal 2 enlists the help of a level designer to develop a special level to help him propose to his girlfriend.