[IxDA Discuss] harnessing technology's potential without being harnessed to technology

[Costa, Maren]

 Hi All, 
 
Long-time reader, first-time "post-er." Here's my question for all of you: 
 
As interaction designers for the web, we need to at least *understand the capabilities* all of the latest and greatest technologies (e.g., ajax) so that we can use that knowledge to inform our designs and ensure that we are always designing to maximum technological potential. For those of us who don't happen to be equal parts programmer and designer, how do we best stay abreast of rapidly changing technologies and their implications/potential for interaction design without getting bogged down code? 
 
The difficulty is finding a source for this knowledge.
 
I often find it hard to ask developers because they are 1] notoriously busy, and 2] so technically savvy that they often have trouble putting things in layman's terms. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips/strategies/sources--something akin to clif notes, or "web-tech-for-poets"--for how to stay on top of technology's implications/potential for interaction design?
 
I'd love to hear about your ideas, classes, books, blogs, whatever, that help you quickly learn *what it can do* without necessarily knowing how to do it.
 
Thanks! 

~Maren  

maren m costa . lead senior ui designer . www.amazon.com . maren at amazon.com