What's next once media tablets and cloud computing become part of mainstream IT planning? We look at the most important topics in this year's Hype Cycle special report, with particular focus on the emerging technologies Hype Cycle. We examine integrative trends such as big data and the Internet of things, as well as developments in technologies such as near field communications used for mobile payments and natural language question answering as showcased on the quiz show Jeopardy! in the IBM Watson win against human opponents.