This TED video hit my iPhone over the weekend – more info at the Siftables page [update 2012-03-29: this page is no longer active, but it seems that Siftables is now Sifteo] and on David Merrill’s page at MIT. I found the concept engaging enough, but the applications that the David, Jeevan and their collaborators have developed are exceptional.
The excitement I feel around this technology is similar to what I felt when I first saw Jeff Han present the multi-touch interface at TED. It didn’t take long for Han’s ideas to reach the mainstream through the iPhone. I wonder how long before we’ll see Siftables translated into a commercial product?