FedEx delivers AIR package tracking

FedEx's new Adobe AIR package tracker.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

FedEx was on hand today to show off its new Adobe AIR application for tracking packages.

Similar to tracking widgets you may have seen on tools such as Apple's Dashboard and Yahoo's Widget engine, you can keep small widgets on your desktop that update and let you know when that digital camera you ordered online mistakenly got delivered somewhere three states over. But that's not the sole use. The application doubles as command center for business users and frequent shippers to keep track of what's going on with several of their packages at once.

The company hopes small business users will take advantage of the application to help them manage shipped packages and make certain they get to their destination. Likewise, anyone who wants to keep tabs on purchased items can simply use the application as a more powerful tracking tool. Eventually, FedEx intends to upgrade the AIR application to support things such as shipping labels and integrating business contacts--things its software applicaiton takes care of.

The application is set to release in beta within the next month and will be limited to U.S. shipments, although there are plans to expand to International shipments.