With so much more to offer than just simple illumination, how far can smart lighting go? Anyone walking past New York's iconic Flatiron building last autumn might have spotted people talking to a street light. It's not the first time this has been seen in New York, but it would have been the first time the street light actually talked back. As part of GE's intelligent street lighting project, a demonstrator lamppost, equipped with a digital screen and speakers, surprised passersby with the latest weather forecast and tourist information. While this is unlikely to be exactly how `smart' street lighting will work in the future, the demonstrator gave an entertaining glimpse of what is coming. It is likely that through a network of LED (light-emitting diode) lights fitted with cameras and sensors, our future cities will be able to give us real-time updates on whereto park, how to avoid traffic jams and which parts of the city are overcrowded, as well as calling the emergency services when trouble arises.