“Next month, a host of new wireless gadgets designed to help make buildings and homes “smart” will debut at the ZigBee Open House and Exposition in Chicago. Among them will be a so-called domestic awareness system that warns you if the stove is left on or if the basement starts flooding. Another lets you network your home entertainment system with environmental controls such as light dimmers or a thermostat. The point of such a setup: to automatically set just the right mood when you’re watching DVDs or listening to music.

Underlying these systems is a new wireless-networking standard called ZigBee.

Developed by the ZigBee Alliance–which includes Honeywell, Samsung, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, and some 160 other companies–the standard allows household appliances, sensors, and other devices to talk to each other without the need for connecting cables.”

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