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 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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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