The Xbox 360 garnered the largest share of online buzz between November 1 and December 9, with 41.6% of blog messages mentioning Xbox, Wii or Playstation.

In comparison, Nintendo’s Wii was mentioned in 29.8% of game console blog messages, while Sony’s Playstation ranked third with mentions in 28.6% of gaming-related blog posts.

Among gift-related online buzz, TV-related terms, mentioned in 52.5% of gift-related messages, dominated blogosphere chatter.

DVDs (24.4% share), toys (11.3% share), laptops (8.4% share), and GPS (3.4% share) rounded out the select five gift ideas.

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Already this year, Nielsen witnessed significant year-over-year (ending September 2008) growth in online activities with increases in time spent daily on videos (+46%), blogs (+20%), and e-commerce sites (+17%).

Expect this trend to continue, as well as increases in newer in-home entertainment options such as video vending.

But don’t expect more time spent at home to trigger increased book sales.

Technology-driven gadgets, gizmos, and games will dominate spare-time activities, while U.S. book sales will remain essentially flat, with a modest 1.5% unit growth rate.

Look for a rise, however, in self-help books, as out-of-work consumers look to rediscover themselves.

Read Nielsen’s complete 2009 Industry Outlook in “Consumer Insight.”

View the latest issue of “Consumer Insight.”

These “power moms” are also 51% more likely than average Web users to provide frequent online advice on clothes and fashion, food and beverage products (39% more likely than average), home decorating (36% more likely than average), and health, dieting and exercise (27% more likely than average).

“We’re seeing women using online avenues like email, online forums, and social networking websites to extend a role they’ve long held as information seekers and relationship builders,” Chuck Schilling, research director, agency and media analytics, Nielsen Online, noted.  “Moms, in particular, look to the Web to connect with other parents for tips and support, and they aren’t afraid of new technologies – this group is nearly 25% more likely than average to author a blog.”

In September, Scholastic.com and BirthdayExpress.com tied as the number one website, ranked by index, among the “power mom” demographic, with a composition index of 366 — more than 3.5 times the average.

General Mills, The Gap, and FamilyFun.com rounded out the top five sites that draw a high concentration of “power moms.”

View the full press release.

Read coverage of Nielsen’s findings in BizReport and Promo magazine.

Fan buzz between July 28 and August 13 overwhelmingly focused on Johnson, who was more than twice as likely to be discussed by bloggers than her teammate Nastia Liukin. 

Liukin was ranked second on Nielsen’s list of the seven most buzzworthy gymnasts competing in the individual finals.  China’s Jiang Yuyuan rounded out the top three.

 View the full press release.