2011 saw Firefox race ahead with a new version with lots of improvements -- speed being chief among them -- and lots more features and add-ons to fully customise your web browsing. here are our most popular Firefox extensions and posts from the past year.

As we all prepare for a big year ahead, we spent the month looking back at the best of the best from Lifehacker from 2011.

Each year, I finish up on Lifehacker by listing the most popular Australian stories from the previous 12 months, and there's always a surprise or two in there. What tickled your collective fancy this year?

At the start of the year, I could have told you that I'd spend quite a bit of time hunting down pricing for Android and iPhone devices, testing the speed of wireless broadband and working out ways to customise Chrome. But one of the joys of Lifehacker is that I constantly get to cover unexpected topics. Here is an entirely personal highlights list of the unusual things I learned this year.

2011 was a big year for Google Chrome and all of its users. There are more Chrome users out there than ever before, and heaps of great Chrome extensions to add functionality privacy, and other services to your browser. Here are the most popular Google Chrome-related posts, extensions and add-ons at Lifehacker during 2011.

We've featured a lot of amazing wallpapers this year and it's hard to choose our favourites, but we've combed through the collection and made some choices. Here are our favourite wallpapers from 2011.

Each week, Lifehacker's Evolve column looks at changes in technology and how they impact people who actually work in IT. Here are the most popular (and most discussed) instalments from 2011.

2011 was a great year for Android fans, with lots of new and improved apps and the sweet introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich. Here are our most popular Android-related posts and downloads.

2011 gave us iOS 5, one of the best upgrades to Apple's mobile operating system, and plenty of great apps. Here are the most popular iPhone-related posts and apps this year.

Our travel advice on Lifehacker covers everything from business travellers and budget backpacking, both in our Road Worrier column and in regular posts. As the end of the year rapidly approaches and your editor contemplates jumping on yet another train, here are the ten most popular travel stories from 2011.

This year, we broke down some tough subjects, from technical how-tos to psychological theory, many of them inspired by reader questions. Here are some of our favourite explainers from 2011.

Each week we highlight the interesting workspaces of Lifehacker readers and others around the world. Today we're looking back at the most popular workspaces from 2011 for your browsing and idea-gathering enjoyment.

Every week, we feature desktops and home screens submitted by readers that we find elegant, informative, attractive, and in most cases, a great use of the customisation tools and UI tweaks available for both desktop and mobile operating systems. This was a great year for desktops and home screens, with more submissions than we could ever possibly highlight. Here are the most popular featured desktops and home screens of 2011.

There is something special about the tricks people come up with to turn unwanted objects into something fresh and useful. Turning an old gadget or piece of furniture into something completely new is a great way to extend its life; here are some of our favourite conversions from the last year.

Linux may not be the world's most popular desktop OS, but that doesn't mean it has to take a back seat to its proprietary brethren. Here are our best Linux downloads and posts from 2011.

2011 brought a new version of Mac OS X and plenty of great Mac-oriented content. Here's a look at our most popular Mac downloads and posts this year.

Windows had some great apps and how-tos in 2011, not to mention our first preview of Windows 8 and all the fun that comes along with a public beta. Here's our look at Lifehacker's most popular Windows downloads, how-tos, and other posts from the past year.

2011 proved to be a great year for all things DIY, from repurposed and updated technology to computer building to cool things you can make for your own enjoyment. Here's a look back at our most popular do-it-yourself projects and posts this year.

This was a great year for all things photography, with posts to help you behind the camera, in front of it, when you're shooting and when you're editing. Here's a look back at our most popular photography tips, tricks and hacks of 2011.