To mix cliches, the people who contribute to this blog seem ahead of the curve in terms of what's coming down the pipeline for different uses and applications of a wide variety of technologies (data visualization, media art, environmentally friendly tech, toys and learning, entrepreneurship, etc.)
An overview of siftables, dominoe-sized mini-computers which interact with each other. The idea seems ripe for instructional use. I actually had my students practice persuasion by presenting practical applications (and a marketing plan) for them.