The USPS is considering a proposal that would turn the existing mail system into something more like the TCP/IP network that's bringing you these words. A "smart stamp" might record a sender's name, the destination of the parcel on which it's fastened and shout its current location to postal handling nodes that could in turn let customers track their packages. The trade off, of course, is the end of anonymous mail and the ability for government actors to passively track mail:

"Intelligent mail has the potential to improve significantly the security of the nation's mail stream, particularly if the postal service fully explores whether it is feasible to require every piece of mail to include sender identification, in order to better assure its traceability in the event of foul play," the report said.

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