My first impression is that the latter class looks promising but the former looks dated. HTML5 is now more universally accepted over Flash. IDK, maybe the generic HTML label signifies 5.
The latter class would be tremendous especially if combined with an Arduino (or similar Open Source) board over radio (XBEE) or WIFI to monitor/remotely control stuff from a mobile device. Imagine not having to come into a lab just to check stuff, imagine continuous monitoring with thresholds set to inform you instead. The list goes on...
Exposing more people to the power of DIY and the ideas around being citizen scientists or just being geeky tinkerers is quite exciting.
