Microbes found thriving in volcanic Mars-like habitat

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/12/-microbes-found-thriving-in-volcanic-mars-like-habitat-1.html

"WiFi napping" to double your phone's battery life

 http://www.businessinsider.com/wifi-napping-2011-7

San Francisco working on plan to install composting public toilets

http://inhabitat.com/san-francisco-working-on-plan-to-install-composting-public-toilets/

"Self-aware" bank account robbing code unleashed by hacker

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/16/potent_xss_script/

Hybrid bus a "masterpiece of British engineering"

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/12/london-double-decker-hybrid-bus/

Cocaine levels found in the air connected to crime & health issues

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/12/cocaine-levels-found-in-the-air-connected-to-crime-and-health-issues/

Eric Schmidt reveals Google may be working on a Nexus Tablet

http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/eric-schmidt-reveals-that-google-is-working-on-nexus-tablet/

http://www.businessinsider.com/eric-schmidt-google-tablet-in-six-months-2011-12

Lytro Light Field camera will ship in early 2012.

This has been posted on these pages previously.  Amongst, other things, it allows focusing on different parts of the photograph after it is taken.  More information, including photographs at:

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/12/19/lytro-light-field-camera/

North Korea at night

Much could be written about the death of Kim Jong-il, but this, "picture of the day", from Atlantic Mobile says it all:

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/12/picture-of-the-day-north-korea-at-night/250174/

/ failed state /

Unlock the Galaxy Nexus Android phone with your face

http://heresthethingblog.com/2011/12/19/unlock-galaxy-nexus-android-phone/

Firefox 9 available, speeds up JavaScript

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/12/firefox-9-available-speeds-up-javascript/#more-410805

Plastic semiconductor makes solar cells more efficient

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/19/pentacen_quantum_solar_cells/

The shape of things to come

Sphero – electronic ball controlled from a smartphone.

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/12/sphero/

SOPA: So how much does it cost to buy off America's Internet freedom?

http://m.zdnet.com/blog/government/sopa-so-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-off-americas-internet-freedom/11050

Pro bono lawyers rescue science blogger from naturopath's SLAPP legal threats

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/19/pro-bono-lawyers-rescue-scienc.html

Woody Guthrie's new year's resolutions 1942

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/19/woody-guthries-new-years-r.html