You've no doubt heard of genes - self-replicating biochemical agents of heredity. You may of heard of memes, a hypthetical (to some) unit of “cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena” (Wikipedia). Well, temes are technological memes, units of technology, suitably recorded in artifacts, whether devices or recorded media, that persist and replicate because of value they provide, and may have the potential to play a role in new technologies.