Intel Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. have launched an initiative to develop the next generation of in-vehicle entertainment and information systems, with particular attention to mobile device connectivity and minimizing distractions through intuitive user interfaces.

When Americans listen to music, they’re most often doing so in their car. And even with all of the Bluetooth and docking gadgets in the marketplace, they’re still likely to be listening to an AM/FM radio or CD. But that may not be the situation for much longer, according to a new report from The NPD Group.

Despite a slowdown in the primary mature markets, International Data Corp. reports that the worldwide smartphone market grew 42.6 percent in the third quarter of 2011 as compared to the same period in 2010, with Samsung now out in front as market leader.

A third of consumers use their mobile phones while they’re at home, not just when they’re out and about. And one in five watches video on their phone at least once every day, according to a Yahoo! and Ipsos study.

Gartner Inc. analysts have determined the top ten technologies and trends that will have a significant impact for most organizations in 2012. The three main criteria for inclusion are high potential for disruption, the need for major financial investment, and the risk inherent in not adopting quickly enough.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 has made its 18th annual appearance, revealing that 2011 is a great year for many companies but not for the overall tracking of these statistics. The average growth of these 500 soaring companies is 1,736 percent, compared to the report’s highest year, 2002, in which the average growth reached 6,772 percent.

The list of most popular Facebook pages has remained only slightly changed over the last quarter, although all of them gained additional numbers. At the top are Facebook’s own page and Zynga’s 'Texas Hold’em Poker,' with almost all the rest being entertainment related.

Two movie top ten lists have been published recently, both detailing the most popular movies of all time. But there’s one major difference – one list reports movies rented from Netflix, while the other shows those downloaded using BitTorrent. Guess which was topped by "The Blind Side" and which by "Avatar."

A new study looked at social games and found that while Asia is the largest social games market, non-Facebook platforms in Western markets will be responsible for nearly one-quarter of worldwide social gaming revenue within the next three years.

The National Football League bans players, coaches and other team personnel from using social media during a several hour window around every game, but that doesn’t protect the players from themselves the rest of the time. Two that come to mind are Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) sharing, um, his unique perspective on Osama bin Laden, and Larry Johnson (ex-Kansas City Chiefs) insulting the coach, gay people and a fan.