The San Jose Mercury News says the biggest technological transformation since the Industrial Revolution is happening now - as billions of ordinary items from farm cows to medicine bottles get outfitted with microchips to form a so-called “Internet of Things.” This will make for countless improvements in our lives - from better medical care to fewer plane crashes - and even better bottles of wine. The transformation could be a major windfall for Silicon Valley businesses that make chips, networking gear and software.

The Wall Street Journal sits down with Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, which makes its season 4 debut in the U.S. on PBS Sunday. Fellowes talks about the decision to kill off two major characters. The main reason is that in England, agents typically won’t allow actors to remain with a show for more than a few years. So the stars themselves decide to move on to other projects and the show writes around their departures.

The face of the carnival worker running America’s fairs is changing. The Washington Post travels to the town of Tlapacoyan in eastern Mexico, home to about 3,000 people who each year venture out on the road to staff carnivals in the United States. They come to the U.S. on temporary work permits, earning $350 to $400 a week, much more than farm workers.

USA Today devotes the main part of its front page today to the 20th anniversary of “The Whack Heard ‘Round the World.” The paper caught up with both Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, who’s ex-husband and friends plotted the attack on Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Olympics. VIDEO

One year after it began, the partnership between Alicia Keys and Blackberry has ended. The Globe and Mail says the deal didn’t make sense anymore after Blackberry decided to turn its focus away from the consumer market and toward corporate and government customers. The arrangement got off to a rocky start when Keys apparently tweeted from an iPhone, though she claimed her account had been hacked.

The Duck Dynasty clan is putting their name on a new line of guns. Fresh on the heels of patriarch Phil Robertson’s suspension and reinstatement from the family’s A&E reality show, comes word of a deal with gunmaker Mossberg on a line that includes shotguns, rifles and an automatic pistol. The New York Post says Phil Robertson narrates promotional videos for the camouflage-covered guns.

Despite long lines, the first day of legal marijuana sales in Colorado was not surprisingly, mellow, according to the Denver Post. Colorado is the first place in the world to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana. Two 24-year-olds said they drove all night from Cincinnati to be there for the first day of pot sales. They plan to stay and become residents.

The Wall Street Journal’s Scott McCartney has a list of his resolutions for making air travel more tolerable and perhaps even enjoyable. He resolves to get more elite status on airlines, which he says is the single most important way to improve air travel. Also on his list: Eating healthier while traveling, not paying baggage fees and having more sympathy for those in the middle seat.

Lindsay Vonn’s Olympic hopes remain in question as she battles a knee injury, but that seems to be of little concern to sponsors, who still love the downhill skier. The Washington Post says Vonn is among the few Olympic athletes to have attracted the attention of major sponsors. One marketing expert says Vonn has all the things a sponsor would love - with number one being that she’s gorgeous.

Target’s massive credit card security breach highlighted the fact that the United States is far behind the curve when it comes to credit card security The Buffalo News says the U.S. is the only developed nation that still uses swipe and sign credit cards. Chip cards that generate a unique verification code each time they’re used are the norm around the world. That makes the U.S. a top target for hackers.

The New York Times has a review of the Phantom 2 Vision Photo Drone. Kit Eaton says the $1200 machine could be the first flying drone you may actually consider buying. It can record video and stills from a thousand feet in the air. And it has a feature that will allow it to use GPS to return home and land itself if it loses connection with its controller.

Solar power has made its way underwater - as researchers are now using solar-powered tags to track and study sharks. The South Florida Sun Sentinel says the new tags replace battery-powered ones that would sometimes die before scientists could get all the information they needed. Because most sharks don’t swim near the surface, the tags collect data for six months using conventional batteries, then detach and float to the surface where they can get solar power so the data can be transmitted.

Despite all the ways we keep in touch these days, the Boston Globe says the holiday letter, the object of scorn and ridicule, is still very much alive. Many holiday letter writers say the annual exercise is a way for them to take stock of their own lives while telling friends and family what’s happened over the last year. One author tells the Globe holiday letter writers can’t win: If they share good news, it sounds like bragging, and if they have bad news, it sounds like they’re complaining.

A&E now finds itself in a difficult position amid the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson’s comments about gay and black people. The Los Angeles Times says it will be difficult for the network to bring Robertson back without seeming self-serving. Times TV reporter Scott Collins says reality television is trying to capitalize on the same cultural tensions it’s exploiting.

The New York Times says the three major credit card companies have agreed to a rules change that would allow merchants to charge extra for using a credit instead of a debit card or cash. American Express recently agreed to a settlement allowing the change, though it still has to be approved by a judge. A judge has already signed off on the change for Visa and Mastercard. It’s still unclear how many retailers will opt for surcharges.

When the NSA’s massive surveillance program was revealed earlier this year, U.S. officials said the program was both constitutional and critical for national security. The Washington Post says both of those justifications are slowly falling by the wayside. This week a judge ruled the NSA’s program was likely unconstitutional and a White House panel concluded the program probably did not prevent any terror attacks.

Treehouse, a Portland startup, is cutting out the middle man. The Oregonian says the tech education business got rid of all of its managers, turning nearly every employee into a front line worker. Employees now pick the projects they want to pursue. The Oregonian says there are a handful of companies doing the same thing, as a way to cut managerial costs.

The Wall Street Journal says the latest maintenance issue at the International Space Station is another sign the orbiting laboratory is getting old. Astronauts will do a series of spacewalks to replace the station’s coolant system. Congress and the White House have agreed to keep the space station operational until 2020, but the Journal says NASA may want to stretch that to as far as 2028.

USA Today says one third of Americans plan to stock up on 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs before they are phased out. Come January 1st, the bulbs will no longer be made in or imported to the U.S. Some suppliers say they are stocking up now to accommodate customers who plan to hoard bulbs rather than switch to more energy efficient alternatives.

The Wall Street Journal asks Retail executives for some advice about how to complain effectively. You should have a reasonable remedy in mind and have your information handy. When you call matters: Generally, the people most able to offer a solution are working Monday to Friday in the daytime. So don’t expect a creative solution from someone on a Saturday night.

The Washington Post has a great story on how the camera on your laptop computer can be used to spy on you - without warning. Researchers have long known that triggering a camera remotely was possible, but only recently have hackers been able to figure out a way to disable the light that indicates the camera is recording. The easy way to protect yourself? Put a piece of tape over your camera.

You see it all the time in the movies. A team is losing badly, before a rousing halftime speech from the coach seems to propel them to victory. That’s mostly bull. San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler says the coach’s power to motivate is vastly overrated. He says most pro athletes don’t need any reminders to play at their maximum intensity.

We all know the glut of sweets and treats this time of year can lead us to pack on a few pounds. But the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says too many sweets can adversely affect everything from our breath to our mental health. Nutritionists say it’s especially important to watch our holiday season snacking so we can indulge a bit on special occasions.

A new Pew Research poll finds only half of Americans consider Christmas a religious holiday. One third of those polled say they view the day as a cultural celebration. Of the 69% of those polled who attended Christmas worship services as kids, only 54% plan to attend church this Christmas. The New York Daily News says the meaning of the day has been swamped by commercialism and traditions like spending time with family.

Gone are the days when you have to worry about sweating through your dress shirt. Two entrepreneurs have come up with a sweat-absorbing shirt. The New York Times says the Mizzen & Main shirts look like regular dress shirts and come in a variety of colors. Another bonus for travelers: They’re also wrinkle-free. Designer Kevin Lavelle says he experimented with thousands of fabrics before getting the shirt just right.

The New York Times Editorial Board says the U.S. should look overseas to see why other countries are doing a better job educating their students. The Times looks at Finland’s rigorous teacher training, Canada’s school funding system and Shanghai China’s moves to eliminate the disparity between strong schools and weak schools. The Editorial Board says America’s status as a world economic power is threatened by our students’ lack of competitiveness.

Walt Mossberg uses final tech column at the Wall Street Journal to talk about the 12 most influential tech products he’s reviewed in his 22 years at the paper. Among the products he says changed the course of digital history are the Newton Message Pad, Netscape Navigator, Google, the iPod, the iPhone, Facebook and Twitter. Mossberg says Apple introduced more groundbreaking products than any other company over the past two decades.

The Boston Globe says new research out of Boston College finds consumers feel a deeper affinity towards products they “touch” on a touchscreen than items they clicked on using a mouse or touchpad. Researchers found using a touchscreen brings up satisfaction levels that rival actually touching products in a store. The study found subjects were even more attached to items they purchased using their own iPads rather than borrowed ones.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says more and more parents are trading their kids’ sleepovers for sleepunders. The kids go to a friends house, do everything they would usually do in a sleepover, change into their pajamas, hang out until late - and then go home. Parents say it’s a better alternative that allows them and the kids to get some sleep. But some psychologists say the trend shows a lack of trust in our children.

These end-of-the-year Google search stories offer a fascinating look at what people are curious about. While some queries make perfect sense, other times you end up with some head-scratchers. The New York Post says the top “how to” Google search by New Yorkers this year was “how to levitate.” What is it about New Yorkers that makes them curious about how to rise off the ground? By the way - it’s all about the angle.

The San Francisco Chronicle offers college football fans a comprehensive guide to all 35 games of this year’s bowl season. Writer Jake Curtis says those looking to overload should circle these dates that have at least 10 hours of continuous bowl action: Saturday, Dec. 28, Dec. 30, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. For the casual fan, the BCS National Championship Game between Auburn and Florida State will be played Jan. 6th.

USA Today has an opinion piece on the decline of the shopping mall in America. One estimate is that 10% of the nation’s malls will close within the next ten years. There are many factors at work, including advances in technology that make online shopping easier than ever. But more than that, there’s a generational aspect to the decline of the mall. Millennials and Gen Xers don’t think of the mall the same way Baby Boomers once did.

The New York Times tells us more about the judge who said the National Security Agency’s spying program is most likely unconstitutional. Judge Richard Leon has a history of taking on controversial subjects - and the government. He’s described as “passionate” and has been known to use exclamation points and cultural references in his rulings. The Times says he “does not seem bound by judicial sobriety.”

Boston Mayor Tom Menino is getting set to leave office after 20 years at City Hall. The Boston Globe says one of the biggest adjustments he’ll have to make is driving himself around again once his security detail is gone. When trying out prospective cars to buy, he was fascinated by buttons to turn the car on and make phone calls. He says he kept looking for the clutch.

The Food and Drug Administration is requiring soap manufacturers to prove the antibacterial agents in their products are safe or take them out altogether. The New York Times says the news was welcomed by public health experts who for years have said antibacterial soaps may be doing more harm than good by disrupting hormones and by promoting drug-resistant infections. The FDA says there’s no evidence antimicrobial agents are any better at preventing infection than regular soap and water.

The Washington Post introduces us to 98-year-old Florence Greco, who has worked out with a personal trainer once a week since she was 85. She’s a great example of what doctors are telling elderly patients - it’s never too late to start exercising. Doctors say the benefits of exercise are tremendous, with one study showing that even just 15 minutes of walking a day could add three to five years to your life.

The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi goes on the record about the increasing number of anonymous sources being used in newspaper stories. In an attempt to become more transparent, reporters quoting an anonymous source often include the source’s reason for remaining off the record. But those reasons have become more and more ridiculous.

What happens when you release an album without telling anyone ahead of time? If you’re Beyoncé, you sell 365,000 copies on the first day. The New York Times analyzes Beyoncé‘s decision for the stealth rollout of her new album “Beyoncé.” The Times says the move shows the power of social media. Word of the album’s release generated 1.2 million tweets in 12 hours.

The New York Times remembers Peter O’Toole, who gained overnight fame with his epic performance in the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia.” The Times says for all his strengths as an actor, there was a bit of unfulfilled promise in O’Toole. He earned six Oscar nominations, but never won. His style, which he called “bravura acting,” was sometimes seen as too over-the-top, even hammy.

The Wall Street Journal says many restaurants are having a tough time handling the rising number of gluten-free requests from customers. In a busy kitchen atmosphere, it’s difficult to make sure that ingredients haven’t mixed. Some restaurants are labeling their food as “Gluten Friendly” rather than Gluten-Free to cover themselves in case their foods exceed new FDA guidelines for Gluten-Free labeling.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune explores the idea of whether creativity has an expiration date. Creative breakthroughs in areas such as math and science do tend to happen earlier in life. But changes to our frontal lobes later in life can lead to better artistic expression. Researchers say from a neuroscience perspective, we’re wired to remain creative for as long as our brains are healthy.

If you’re looking to give the gift of reading this season, the Chicago Sun-Times has a list of 13 top books for young readers. The list includes books suitable for kids ages 5 through the early teens.

If James Bond drank as much in real life as he does in Ian Fleming’s novels, he’d have some serious health problems. USA Today reports on the findings of a fun British Medical Journal study. It turns out, Bond consumes 92 drinks a week - and would likely be drunk all the time. Researchers conclude Bond would be at risk of an early death and would likely suffer from sexual dysfunction. He might also have shaky hands, perhaps explaining why he prefers his Vodka Martinis “shaken, not stirred.”

Protesters in Ukraine appear to be in it for the long haul. The Washington Post has this photo of a snow fort they’ve built to protect their encampment. Protesters want Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to sign a trade agreement with the European Union, which he has agreed to do. But it might not happen until the spring, meaning a long winter for the protesters.

Air travelers, rejoice. You probably won’t have to deal with noisy cell phone calls from fellow passengers anytime soon. The U.S. Department of Transportation is signaling that it will likely keep the ban on cell phone calls on planes in place, even though the Federal Communications Commission voted to allow a rule change. The Wall Street Journal says Transportation Department officials have been inundated with complaints about the potential rule change from passengers and the airline industry.

The Indianapolis Star says Architecture students at Indiana’s Ball State University are imagining new ways to recycle old airplane parts. From bus stops to houses - students are dreaming up ways to use parts that would otherwise end up rusting away in an airplane graveyard. Students say airplanes’ strength, size and ability to withstand extreme pressure and temperatures would make them ideal to many applications.

The proliferation of camera phones is changing the way photography is viewed in the art world. The Wall Street Journal says artists are taking inspiration from the millions of photos shot and shared everyday. Some works using found photos sell for thousands of dollars. Social observers wonder if we’re spending too much time taking photos of what’s going on and not enough time thinking about our experiences.

The New York Times says streaming music platforms are the latest hope for the troubled music business. But while millions listen to music via services like Pandora and Spotify, few actually pay for subscriptions. Pandora has some 70 million monthly users, but only about 3 million pay. Industry experts say the market is still young - and it has tremendous potential.

The South African sign language interpreter said to be a fake for signing nonsense at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service now says he suffered a schizophrenic episode at the event. Thamsanqa Jantjie told Johannesburg’s STAR newspaper that he started hearing voices and hallucinating. He doesn’t know whether it was the happiness of the day or the magnitude of what he was doing that may have triggered the episode. VIDEO

In an Op-Ed in the New York Times, the Director of Photography at the Associated Press argues the Obama administration is shutting out press photographers in favor of visual press releases. Santiago Lyon says the administration exercises Orwellian control over images of the President at work.  It used to be that press photographers were invited in to private meetings, even if just for a few minutes, to get a true picture of what was happening.  Now, the White House typically only releases a carefully selected image from its own photographer.

Canada’s postal service says it will eliminate door-to-door mail delivery within 5 years, switching to shared mailboxes at the end of each block. It also plans to substantially increase postal rates. The New York Times says Canada’s postal service is plagued by the same problems that have affected the US Postal Service, including declining mail volume and rising wage and pension costs.

The LA Times says popular deals website Groupon is having some fun at Amazon’s expense. In response to Amazon’s plans to deliver packages by drone, Groupon produced a video announcing plans for delivery catapults. The tag line: “From our dungeon to your doorstep.” VIDEO

It may be Christmas music, or indie rock or thumping drum and bass, but you can be sure the music you hear when you walk into a store has been carefully selected. The Wall Street Journal says retailers are fine-tuning playlists to better communicate their brand message - and keep you in the mood to shop. Specialty firms help retailers come up with music that suits their customers’ tastes and lifestyles.

Major League Baseball has decided to ban home plate collisions starting in 2014. The language of the rule still needs to be written, but USA Today says it’s likely any runner violating the rule will be called out and could face a fine or a suspension. New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, chairman of Major League Baseball’s rules committee, said the increasing number of injuries as well as a better understanding of concussions led to the rule change.

One year after the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the New York Times did an analysis of state gun laws passed over the last 12 months. 109 gun bills have become law. 70 of them loosened gun restrictions. Only 39 of them tighten gun restrictions. Notable that most of the looser gun laws come in Republican controlled states and most of the tighter laws come in Democrat controlled state houses.

The internet is abuzz with reaction to President Obama’s “selfie” with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Michelle Obama appears to be among those who thought the move was in bad taste. In the interest of fairness, the New York Daily News also published a photo of President George W. Bush posing at the funeral with U2 frontman Bono.

Mary Barra has made history, becoming the first female CEO of a major American automaker. But the Detroit Free-Press says it’s also significant that for the first time since the 1990s, GM will be led by an auto engineer. Barra, the daughter of tool-and-die maker, worked her way up from the factory floor. Traditionally, GM has looked to its finance department for its CEOs.

Have you ever had a co-worker who seems to go a mile a minute - talking fast, walking fast, just generally doing everything like it’s a race? Trying to keep up can leave you exhausted. The Wall Street Journal says super busy colleagues actually cause secondhand stress around the office. Experts say chronic rushers make others feel anxious, inferior and resentful.

The New York Times’ Helene Cooper and Jennifer Steinhauer take a break from covering politics to share their recipes for easy holiday cocktails. Both wonder why we’ve come so far in our cocktail fare - except when it comes to the holidays, when we drag out the old eggnog and punch. Steinhauer says we can make festive cocktails by using seasonal citrus flavors and holiday colors.

Not mentioned much during the billion dollar broadcasts of the Olympics is the fact that many athletes struggle financially to make their Olympic dreams come true. But athletes headed to Sochi have come up with a new source of funds - the Internet. The Washington Post says a new crowdfunding site aimed directly at athletes called RallyMe.com has quickly become a boon for Sochi atheletes and future potential Olympians.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says with field goal accuracy rates at an all-time high, people around the NFL are wondering if it’s time to narrow the goalposts. Goalposts in the NFL have been 18 feet, 6 inches wide since the league was formed in 1920. Back in 1943, Ward Cuff led the league with a 33.3% accuracy rate. This year’s top two kickers have made over 90% of their field goal attempts.