Ever wonder how your smart devices know what to do? How your requests — from turning on lights to getting the air conditioner running — go from an app to your thermostat or lamp?

We're going to talk to one of the experts in that field today: Z-Wave Alliance's executive director, Mitchell Klein, who is going to help all of us understand how products send information to each other — and what we should keep in mind before we buy our next smart home device.

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Wireless protocols may sound complicated — but Mitchell's going to help turn those chunky words into a simple concept. At GearBrain, that's our goal, to help you figure out what's going on with all these new connected devices, and if they can streamline your life.

So join us on GearBrain's Facebook page, live at 2 pm ET, Tuesday, August 28th — and bring questions so we can get the answers for you.