New software lets you control your home using just your voice

Before you even walk in the house after a long day at work, you'll soon be able to turn on the lights, open the blinds and blast the air conditioning simply by saying, "Hey Siri, I'm home."

With Apple's new iOS 10 software, expected to be released Wednesday, you can control your home with the tap of a button or by using your voice. It's the company's latest effort to take on
Amazon and Google for the title of smart home living.

Apple first dabbled with smart home technology in 2014 with HomeKit, but it was tricky because it involved installing a new and sometimes hard to use companion app for each individual product.

That all changes with the Home app. It will function as the control center for smart home gear, and be the first time a single app will be able to control any compatible device. Even better, you can even use your Apple Watch to control your home, that is if you have one!

You can also program Scenes like "leaving home", which turns off the lights, and locks your doors.
If you don't want to create Scenes, you can control each accessory individually.

A long press on Philips Hue lights will allow for a dimming effect or enable the lights to change colors.
But if all this change is too complicated, you can always get up and turn off the lights yourself, like you've been doing for years.

RELATED: The history of Siri