A method of operating a device cloud, the method comprising: communicating, by a control device of a first user, with a portable networking device of the first user when the portable networking device of the first user is within a threshold proximity of the control device; identifying, by the control device of the first user, one or more devices in the device cloud, wherein the device cloud is of a second user, wherein each of the identified devices is controllable by the first user, and whether a device in the device cloud is controllable by the first user is determined based at least in part on authentication of the first user; presenting, by the control device, the first user with a control interface for controlling the one or more of the identified devices in the device cloud; and sending, by the control device, commands to one or more of the devices in the device cloud based on user input provided by the first user through the control interface; characterized by the portable networking device of the first user being configured to store authentication information of the first user; and by the portable networking device of the first user, to authenticate the first user, sending a request associated with the first user to one of the devices in the device cloud; by the one device (120 -190) in the device cloud: receiving the request from the portable networking device of the first user, searching a social graph of the second user for the identity of the first user; retrieving a user profile associated with the identity of the first user from the social graph, displaying the user profile, and requesting the second user to provide input to a portable networking device of the second user, confirming the identity of the first user and permitting the first user to pair the first portable networking device with the one device in the device cloud. communicating, by a control device of a first user, with a portable networking device of the first user when the portable networking device of the first user is within a threshold proximity of the control device; identifying, by the control device of the first user, one or more devices in the device cloud, wherein the device cloud is of a second user, wherein each of the identified devices is controllable by the first user, and whether a device in the device cloud is controllable by the first user is determined based at least in part on authentication of the first user; presenting, by the control device, the first user with a control interface for controlling the one or more of the identified devices in the device cloud; and sending, by the control device, commands to one or more of the devices in the device cloud based on user input provided by the first user through the control interface; characterized by the portable networking device of the first user being configured to store authentication information of the first user; and by the portable networking device of the first user, to authenticate the first user, sending a request associated with the first user to one of the devices in the device cloud; by the one device (120 -190) in the device cloud: receiving the request from the portable networking device of the first user, searching a social graph of the second user for the identity of the first user; retrieving a user profile associated with the identity of the first user from the social graph, displaying the user profile, and requesting the second user to provide input to a portable networking device of the second user, confirming the identity of the first user and permitting the first user to pair the first portable networking device with the one device in the device cloud. receiving the request from the portable networking device of the first user, searching a social graph of the second user for the identity of the first user; retrieving a user profile associated with the identity of the first user from the social graph, displaying the user profile, and requesting the second user to provide input to a portable networking device of the second user, confirming the identity of the first user and permitting the first user to pair the first portable networking device with the one device in the device cloud.