As prevalent an issue as texting while driving is, it may (and quite soon) seem like an almost archaic way of staying in touch with the outside world. Between what's here now -- "infotainment" units like Ford's Sync, which lets you control your cell phone or sound system using verbal commands, and GM's OnStar system, which can act as an on-demand concierge right in your car -- and what's being developed, commuting in your car may feel no different than sitting in your favorite living-room chair, except that you're moving faster (depending, of course, on traffic).

And, to add to the "already here" list, Chrysler has developed live, in-car TV. The system, pictured, is called Flo TV, and will be available in most of its vehicles come December (as an add-on, naturally). The TV will carry live programming from around 20 stations -- including Comedy Central and MSNBC -- and will cost $629, plus installation fee, including a year's subscription. Pricing for an annual subscription after the first year has yet to be determined. Like current in-car DVD players, Flo TV will run on a drop-down screen viewable only by rear-seat passengers, so as not to distract drivers.

As far as what's in development, Ford and the University of Michigan have teamed up for a research project called American Journey 2.0, the goal of which is to develop the next generation of car-specific social networking tools and applications -- especially those, like Facebook and Twitter, used by the so-called Millennial generation, 77 percent of whom (according to a recent survey) are frequent users of such tools and applications. Of course, the word "responsibility" is thrown around a lot by the company when discussing the project -- Twitter is nothing more than texting to an open audience, after all -- but it will be interesting to see how the company can safely integrate social media (which work optimally with frequent, if not dedicated, attention), and whether the younger target demographics will enjoy, or even want, those laptop staples in their car.

For more details, visit Ford.com.

(Photo courtesy of Chrysler)