As if we needed any more hints that Korean phone manufacturer Pantech & Curitel is one to watch, they've announced a prototype version of their P1 phone that can communicate over the upcoming Zigbee wireless home automation protocol. At their press showing today, P&C showed off the capabilities of the concept, which can communicate with Zigbee-standard sensors to control home appliances, check your mail, monitor your alarm system for trespassers—basically anything you'd expect home automation to be able to do, but controlled by a phone.

It's not that I think Zigbee is going to take over or anything—it's too early to tell and I'm not an expert on the subject, besides—but it pleases me to see a relatively small company trying out things that aren't just new for newness sake, but instead smart ideas that could actually be useful extensions of our normal phone use.