Sindya Bhanoo

Some Google users may have noticed that health-related searches generate more than a simple list of results.

For instance, a search for "headache" might prompt a response that asks, "Did you search because you or someone you know has a headache? Yes/No."

As the Apple World Wide Developers Conference approaches and the company prepares to roll out a new version of the iPhone operating system, the Mac rumor sites have been buzzing about what a next-generation iPhone might bring to the market. While some of Apple's iPhone plans are known, here's a list of seven other improvements that we would like to see:

Dockers has a new ad that dances when shaken. The ad, which appears with some iPhone applications, takes advantage of the phone's built-in accelerometer to create an interactive, "shakeable" ad. It is the first of its kind, according to Dockers.

The ad features Seattle musician and dancer Dufon dressed in a pair of Dockers Khakis. When users shake their phone, Dufon dances on the iPhone screen to the rhythm of the shakes.

Apple's iPhone and several Nokia and RIM devices dominate global smartphone traffic in many countries, according to a recent report by mobile ad serving company AdMob.

The report was based on mobile advertising data captured from links and banners served to thousands of AdMob publishers. Even though the iPhone is not widely available in many international markets, AdMob's data shows that it still owns a sizable slice of the traffic -- about 33% of the traffic monitored by AdMob's network. The best-selling Nokia phones were responsible for about 22% of traffic, and RIM phones -- the BlackBerry 8100 and 8300 -- have 7.4%. The Palm Centro has 2.6% of the market, AdMob reported.

The airline industry experiences significant online fraud, according to figures released by CyberSource Corporation, a company that offers a hosted fraud management solution for online retailers.

According to the survey, airlines worldwide lost more than US$1.4 billion to fraudsters in 2008. The figure amounts to about 1.3% of worldwide airline revenue.

President Barack Obama has promised $19 billion dollars of the stimulus package to turn every medical record in the country digital by 2014. But a group of doctors at the Harvard Medical School are warning that the shift to electronic medical records is not worth the cost.

The opinions were expressed in essays published in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. They described the move to digitize medical records as potentially "harmful" and offering "no real benefit."

Last week's announcement of Google Voice was a shot across bow of the telecommunications industry. While Verizon and other carriers will experience pricing pressure on some of the add-on services that they give customers, companies that provide Internet-based voice-over-IP (VOIP) may be most threatened by Google Voice, which will let users make calls within the U.S. at no cost, and international calls at an inexpensive rate.

Take Jajah, an Internet telephone service that recently scored nearly US$2.8 million in a round of funding. Jajah uses VOIP to connect landlines and mobile phones at a low cost.

Wal-Mart has joined Google, Microsoft, and other companies angling to get a piece of the digital health records market.

The retailer plans to bring its low-cost, high-volume mentality to the healthcare industry by offering a deal that includes hardware, software, installation, maintenance and training to convert a doctor's office from using paper to digital medical records.

During the Great Depression, Americans found ways to repair and reuse many items -- turning gunny sacks into dresses, for instance. In the current economic depression, the same may apply to electronics, according to FixYa, a user-to-user tech support community.

In a press release, the company reported strong growth over the last six months from nine million to 13 million monthly visitors. Simultaneously, new PC shipments have slumped as consumers hold off updating their computing hardware.

Lawyers are increasingly jumping ship from BlackBerrys to iPhones, thanks in large part to functionality enabled by the iPhone's special screen.

Some lawyers still prefer the BlackBerry for its keyboard and longer battery life. But the iPhone's big screen, slick interface and easy-to-use touchpad makes it an enticing device. The touchscreen makes it a snap to switch between browser windows and zoom in and out of documents.

Google Health has a new feature that lets users share medical information with others through an e-mail link.

The company launched Google Health one year ago, to let registered users of the service store medical records online.

The lazy college student who watches all of his lectures from his dorm room via podcast may do better on his next exam than classmates who attend the lectures in person, according to a new study.

Researchers at the State University of New York, Fredonia, measured the performance of 64 students, half of whom watched a lecture via podcast and the other half who attended the live lecture.