A link to Honda’s new HFT (human friendly transmission as in the DN-01) the next generation CVT and a few more short information blurbs from the Honda World Links.

Also a good explanation on how the belt type CVT operates at the bottom of the HFT link and another path to the same link on the automobile technology page.

http://world.honda.com/motorcycle-picturebook/

Good diagrams of the swash plate and hydraulic pistons.
The technology is simple. The execution is much more difficult. I always have problems with the longevity of adjustable swash plates. Since their movement is far from smooth I would think wear would be a problem. That being said it seems the longevity of AC compressors has not been compromised. They use the same adjustable swash plate to control refrigerant flow and pressure. New technology always makes me question its reliability.
To quote Wiki:
"The Honda DN-01 motorcycle is the first road-going consumer vehicle with hydrostatic drive that employs a variable displacement axial piston pump with a variable-angle swashplate."
Time will tell if this is the transmission of the future. Remember a few years back when the Saturn arm of GM put a CVT with belt drive in the Ion and VUE? They were touted as the wave of the future. Well, the technology was superb but the manufacturing and reliability doomed them to failure.