Link Collection

The military has begun building its first renewable energy test site (a really small project) in Afghanistan--I wish that they would have built a lot more than this already because it costs as much as $400 per gallon to deliver fuel to the battlefield and the military consumes 22 gallons of fuel per soldier, per day:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/12/military-belatedly-hesitantly-going-green-in-afghanistan/

University and State employees in Arizona may get IOUs instead of money starting in February:
http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=NjE2NDEwOQ==

For just $34, anyone can get the password of a WiFi access point via this cloud computing-based hacking service:
http://www.technologyreview.com/web/24127/?a=f

Toyota is promising an "affordable" plug-in Prius available to the mass market in 2011, with triple-digit miles per gallon. Toyota is already going to make 500 of the plug-in Prius models available in the next few months:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/12/toyota-plug-in-prius-2011/

Ethanol is promoted as a clean-burning, renewable fuel, but a study found that it actually generates MORE ozone than gasoline and would worsen ozone-related health problems, especially during the winter:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/su-evg121409.php

A Virginia man is the first man ever barred by the FDA from importing food into the US. He's also going to prison for 5 years for trying to sell frozen catfish fillets as other types of fish to avoid paying import taxes:
http://www.healthcanal.com/public-health-safety/4229.html

Google is apparently about to get VERY aggressive in the smartphone business, selling an unlocked Android-based smartphone next year! Customers can choose to go with any wireless carrier to get the best deal, but Verizon and T-Mobile have been the carriers in the loop about the phone:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/report-google-releasing-its-own-phone-next-year/2009-12-14?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

The Wireless Gigabit Alliance completed its specification for their
standard to deliver up to 7 Gbps over the 60 GHz band:
http://news.techworld.com/mobile-wireless/3208567/fast-wireless-group-completes-standard/

TeliaSonera became the first operator to commercially launch an LTE network:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/teliasonera-launches-first-commercial-lte-network/2009-12-14?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Man added his 13-year-old son to his cell phone plan...and was shocked when his son racked up $22,000 in data charges in his first month!
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_13979972

Oregon man said that a 3-month-old kitten apparently hitched a cold, 120-mile ride in the wheel well of his SUV:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/11/ap/national/main5970389.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain;cbsnewsLeadStoriesPrimary