One embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes using a
portable computing device to remotely control devices and/or systems
wirelessly. Specifically, a software timer application operating on the
portable computing device enables its user to predefine the time, date,
and the operation(s) that one or more properly enabled devices and/or
systems perform in the future. That is, the timer software operating on
the portable computing device is able at some predefined time to
wirelessly trigger an action or a sequence of actions from devices and/or
systems. For example, a user of the portable computing device is able to
utilize the timer software to program a predefined date and time that the
portable computing device will turn on a favorite radio, program and turn
up the thermostat. The wireless communication of the portable computing
device may occur using a radio frequency (RF) technology like Bluetooth,
IEEE 802.1 1, or HomeRF.