Popular Mechanics lists the scientific and technological breakthroughs that may spread quickly in 2006. These advances relates to various domains, I found the following interesting:

Body Area Network (BAN): Like everything else, implantable medical devices are going wireless. A new in-body antenna chip from Zarlink Semiconductor is in preproduction, and should appear in pacemakers and hearing implants this year. By transmitting data to and receiving instructions from nearby base stations, BAN chips can reprogram your heartbeat at your doctor's office or make a diagnosis from a bedside wireless monitor at home.

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV): Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) already lets us make phone calls over the Internet. Now, IPTV is doing something similar for video. The advantage? Convergence. If your TV is tapped into the Internet, you can program your DVR to record over the Web from your office. Future applications may add interactivity to standard TV broadcasts.

SPIT (SPam over Internet Telephony)

Pedestrian Protection System (PPS): Radar sensors and computer-controlled braking will keep drivers safer than ever, but what about pedestrians?

Some - of course - are more obvious: mobile VoIP, Ajax, metadata.