Now that we've all become used to hearing about a plethora of "smart" devices, such as smart phones, smart refrigerators, and smart cars, now there is something new on the horizon that combines all of these: smart cities.

What exactly is a smart city? Recently, two tech giants in IBM and AT&T have partnered up in an effort to improve the efficiency of cities concerning traffic and infrastructural improvements, among a bounty of other implementations which will see devices that can collect data and contribute to a theoretically technologically superior landscape.

The world is changing very rapidly around us as we become more connected with other people and the objects around us via the Internet, and now with the combining of these two tech giants we will be moving even quicker towards a completely connected lifestyle where data exists on everything and is used in everything.

The partnership of these two companies means shared data and analytics involving a city's traffic, parking, movement of people, and the ability to respond to emergencies; the two companies will use data from past incidences to analyze everything and have stated it will increase response times, traffic movements and information from re-routing, safety protocols, and the concentration of traffic to improve the overall efficiency of travel and safety.

These two companies carry a lot of power both in network systems and back end support facilities to allow for large scale analysis and the ability to make significant changes using in-depth research. AT&T and IBM will also monitor social media updates from citizens reporting unfavorable weather conditions.

One of the biggest implications of this cooperation is the development of what some are calling the "Internet of Things," which means that physical objects will begin to be electronically classified and tracked online, bringing the virtual and physical world together.