EV3
 

Well, the NXT is being replace this summer with the new Mindstorms EV3 which will be allowed in the FLL Nature's Fury game.http://firstlegoleague.org/productEV3

It looks like an upgrade from the NXT though not as large a leap as the NXT was from the RCX. The NXT won't be totally phased out until 2015 but, like the RCX, its popularity will probable fade as the EV3 takes over the market.

Since it runs on a Linux operating system, it's been said that it's easily hack-able and it seems to have better communication with its sensors.

Re: EV3
 

I've been exceited for the EV3 since I found out about it a few weeks ago. Personally I'm not too excited for the looks, but the features? That's a different story. It is backward compatible, just as NXT was with RCX. My favorite aspects I'm sure will be the four output ports and additional/expandable memory. I was curious about it's leagality in FLL, although I'm not surprised at how they are doing it. It's the same as they did back in 2006 when NXT was released. I expect to see very few teams using EV3 for Nature's Fury, but then see many more the following year. It'll also be intiresting to see what the rules are like in regards to using it. When NXT was released there were some intiresting rules in 2007/08 for Power Puzzle.