How did the nearly complete year of 2008 treat Gearlog? The topics of our most-viewed posts of the year range pretty widely, but it seems our readers really wanted to know about emerging tech, cell phone news, and most of all--tech toys. (Gearlog is all about the toys, after all.)

After the jump you'll find the 11 most popular posts of the year. (Why 11? I had to include the post about Microsoft's SideSight, because it's just so cool.) Interestingly, not all the posts are even from 2008--several were published in 2007. It's nice to know that despite the frantic topicality of the blogosphere, some of our stories live on past the first 20 minutes or so after they're published!

11. Microsoft's SideSight: Something Apple Should Watch: PCMag News Editor Mark Hachman wrote about this fascinating technology: "SideSight removes "touch" from the device and makes it a function of the paper, tabletop, or even the air that's next to the device. What does this mean? According to Microsoft, it opens up the possibility for "touch" functions to be built into tiny devices that don't actually need a touchscreen.

10. CES 2007: Nokia's Gorgeous Little 6300 Mobile-device analyst Sascha Segan spotted this phone nearly 2 years ago, at the Consumer Electronics show. And apparently, we still want to read about it.

9. Disney's Holiday Sneak Peek, Part 1: Rock Out With a Hannah Montana Guitar Another post from 2007, our ninth most popular post stayed on top no doubt because of you-know-who's name in the title--and I am not talking about Disney. I don't think I even knew who Hannah Montana was when this post first went up--a lot can happen in a year and a half.

8. A Glance at Sony Ericsson's 5MP Cameraphone aka Holidays in June: Parade Edition: Yes, one more from 2007. Another phone people are still curious about!

7. Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker: Exclusive Video: Brian Heater shot this exclusive video at the last CES, and it went wild on YouTube, as well as on Gearlog. Take a look; you'll definitely see why.

6. Verizon-Alltel Merger: Not Until 2009? This speculative post from June became a community unto itself, with nearly a hundred Verizon and Alltel customers weighing in with questions and service issues. And it's still going strong.

5. Incredible Wiimote Hack Creates Multitouch Display: Another great find by Mark Hachman; the title sort of says it all. This post was also on our top list of 2007. Thanks, Slashdot!

4. iPhone Bluetooth Compatibility List: Many, many iPhone buyers who wondered which headset to buy found this very useful post.

3. CTIA 2008: Check Out The Size Of That Thing! Do you have any idea what this post is about by reading the title? But you want to find out, don't you? So did a lot of other readers. (It's about the "gigantazoid" TV antennae on the LG Vu CU920 cellphone.)

2. LITTLEST PET SHOP Goes Virtual: Another post that could become a separate blog all on its own. See the 170-plus comments, all begging for free codes from other fans of this kids' virtual world.

1. 10 Signs You May Like Guitar Hero Too Much: Accessories, Mods, and More: Our number-one post in 2008? A silly list post Brian threw together with the aim of gently mocking fanatic fans of the ubiquitous video game garnered the most views in 2008--by far. From the post: "When is enough too much? We're not here to pass judgment (well, except for that slightly sensational headline), but if you own more than, say, four or five of the below items, it may be time for you to consider a new hobby--or at least think about getting a little fresh air."