A user equipment (UE) device pointed at an appliance to be controlled, or at an object that is to be accessed or about which information needs to retrieved, determines its position and orientation within an environment with respect to a fixed frame of reference. The appliance to be controlled is identified based on a determined position and orientation of the UE device and a known position of the appliance. The UE device controls the identified appliance by establishing a wireless communication link between the identified appliance and UE device based on a wireless technology that is compliant with both the appliance and the UE device. The UE device may control another appliance via a central control computer server to which the other appliance is interfaced, when the other appliance is not configured for wireless communication.