By Stephanie Pappas, Senior Writer<\/p>\n
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Picture the scene: It\u2019s a few days before Christmas. Your fridge is stocked with ingredients for a feast \u2014 and it knows exactly when you bought each item so you don\u2019t use anything past its expiration date.<\/p>\n
Your Aunt Edna flies in today and will reach your house before you\u2019re home from work, so you use your smartphone to tell your garage door to open to let her in. Oops, you forgot to program the thermostat<\/a> to heat the house up early, but no worries. Motion sensors embedded in your home will cue your heating system to start cranking when she enters.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, you flip through a magazine that shows a photo of a cozy home, bathed in yellow light. You grab your phone and take a picture, and then use that photo to tell your wireless-enabled lightbulb<\/a> system to recreate the lighting. On Christmas morning, you\u2019ll program those same bulbs gradually to light up the house a little earlier than usual \u2014 perfect for starting the annual present-unwrapping frenzy.<\/p>\n