Tim Fitzsimons

Social networking sites have been at the vanguard of the Arab uprisings over the past year. Egyptians used online pages to organize protests, and Syrian activists have posted frequent YouTube videos showing government forces shelling civilian areas.

States have long sought to restrict cellphone use by drivers because of safety concerns, and as the new year begins, several states are toughening their laws. It turns out it's a hard habit to break. And for government officials, it's not easy to stay ahead of tech advances.