Apple wins patent for new way to send power to homes

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a patent for a new way to supply power to a home through the use of an "intelligent power-enabled communications port."
The inventor was Tony Fadell, a key executive who worked for Apple on the iPod and iPhone, until leaving to found Nest, a company that makes a 'smart thermostat,' the idea being that it will be able to plug in to "the Internet of things."
You can read details of the patent filing here. Patently Apple also offers a write-up.