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Since these are science missions, the camera isn't equipped with a fixed Bayer pattern filter in front of the sensor. Instead it uses exchangeable filters. You can't make an interchangeable Bayer pattern filter, so they have to take three pictures to capture the red, green and blue channels separately. In addition to "sciency" filters, Curiosity also has filters for "human perception" color photography, whereas the spectra that were combined into color pictures from earlier missions did not match human perception because they were optimized just for the science. Curiosity should give us a first glimpse of what Mars would like like to human eyes (although it appears that they were not that far off before, see here.

Tone mapping and HDR are often used synonymously. Unfortunately the article also confuses HDR with tone mapping. They're two parts of the process which in combination often creates an "unreal" look. The HDR part is about capturing the higher dynamic range. The tone mapping part is about reducing the dynamic range without losing detail or color in the shadows or highlights (blue sky instead of white, texture instead of flat shadows). The tone mapping is what makes these pictures look unreal when it is overdone or performed carelessly. Algorithms for automatic, realistically looking tone mapping are still a research topic. It doesn't have to look unreal though. Tone mapping can be used to create realistic impressions. For example, in this panormic image, the result of tone mapping is that you can see the tables in the shadow and the blue sky with the faint clouds at the same time. Without tone mapping, you'd see a white sky or black shadows. (That picture is not an HDR picture, but it is strongly tone mapped. This is an HDR and tone mapped picture.)

Tone mapping and HDR are often used synonymously. Unfortunately the article also confuses HDR with tone mapping. They're two parts of the process which in combination often creates an "unreal" look. The HDR part is about capturing the higher dynamic range. The tone mapping part is about reducing the dynamic range without losing detail or color in the shadows or highlights (blue sky instead of white, texture instead of flat shadows). The tone mapping is what makes these pictures look unreal when it is overdone or performed carelessly. Algorithms for automatic, realistically looking tone mapping are still a research topic. It doesn't have to look unreal though. Tone mapping can be used to create realistic impressions. For example, in this panormic image, the result of tone mapping is that you can see the tables in the shadow and the blue sky with the faint clouds at the same time. Without tone mapping, you'd see a white sky or black shadows. (That picture is not an HDR picture, but it is strongly tone mapped. This is an HDR and tone mapped picture.)

The effect of dragging one wheel can be seen in this panoramic image. Hopefully they can get the rover unstuck, but suppose they can't: Will Spirit be of further use if it's stationary or is there no point in making more observations and measurements unless it can reach new vantage points?

Phoenix lander on Mars

The telltale is a small weight dangling from a vertical boom. More sophisticated instruments would have weighed more, so they opted for this minimal weather instrument.

Here's that finest panoramic shot in Quicktime VR format: http://www.fotoausflug.de/en-mars.html

McMurdo Panorama

Take a look around: Interactive version of the McMurdo Panorama

Have a look around: McMurdo Panorama

Yes, it has been done: Winter on Mars.

I took the NASA image and converted it for interactive viewing (with a choice of five viewers, including Quicktime, Shockwave and Java).

Interactive McMurdo Panorama, Winter on Mars