I'm starting a new wish-post-list I call 'synergy', or what would happen if two nifty technologies joined forces.

Today's synergy is the combination of UPS Shipment Tracking and FlightTracker.

The idea is simple: Enter your tracking numbers from any of the major carriers (UPS, FedEx, Airborne, TNT, USPS) or have them automatically entered by giving your shippers a 'receiver number' instead of name/address/phone/shoe-size, and they would all appear in realtime on a map of the US (or your country, or relevant space to accomodate both from and to locations). The map would continually update and you could click on any individual blip to learn more about that package, or submit special instructions to the company (leave in the bushes, hold for pickup, etc.).

The information is there. The carrier already knows what truck has your package, and the trucks (and planes) have GPS transceivers on them. I don't know if the delivery trucks do, but the cross-country haulers and planes are a go.

Like my Garmin GPS, I want to see a heading, distance traveled, distance to go, time estimate, the whole works on there. I want to be able to zoom in ala Maps and see the truck make the left onto the turnpike. I want to see how long he rests at the rest stop. I want to watch him change lanes.

I want to be able to know how many blocks away the package is from my door so I'm not downstairs putting the laundry in the drier when he buzzes my door.

I want to understand how I can order something from MacConnection at 11pm and still have it show up at eight the next morning.

We have the technology, now only if we still lived in the tech-happy world where every idea gets funding. Heck, it could still happen. All it takes are the two magic words 'premium service'.

If they will pay for it, it will come.