This article describes a way to dump package tracking information from from UPS/FedEx/… into an RSS feed. Package tracking is a good application for RSS – I’d love a nice interface on it, too. You highlight a tracking number in your browser, click a bookmarklet, it’s added to your ‘queue’, and then any changes to the package pop up in your aggregator amidst the flow of other data you’re consuming. As soon as the package is listed as ‘Delivered’, it can be taken out of the list of packages to check on.
There are lots of sorts of information that fits the RSS paradigm better than the email paradigm. I’d love it if email was left to only be things that for sure needed my attention. Things that I should glance over if and when time allows (daily server status reports, build logs, filtered weather information, …) could all be published via RSS. Any application where there is allowable slop in if (1) you read it at all and (2) when you read it. Another tool for the toolbox….
Update: Hey, bloglines just added this as a feature, you can inline package tracking information into your feed. Sexy!