1. A computer-implemented process for controlling an electronic component within an environment using a pointing device, comprising: receiving orientation messages transmitted by the pointing device, said orientation messages comprising at least one orientation sensor reading generated by at least one orientation sensor of the pointing device; upon receiving an orientation message, determining whether a switch state indicates that a pointing device switch has been activated by a user to indicate that a gesture is being performed; repeating the reception of orientation messages and the determination of whether a switch state indicates that the pointing device switch has been activated whenever it is determined that the switch state does not indicate that the pointing device switch is activated; recording a prescribed one or ones of the pointing device sensor outputs taken from the orientation message received, in accordance with a determination that the switch state indicates that the pointing device switch is activated; determining whether a threshold if just one, or all the thresholds if more than one, of a gesture threshold definition under consideration are exceeded by the recorded sensor output associated with the same sensor output as the threshold for the gesture threshold definition assigned to the electronic component; designating that the user has performed the gesture associated with the gesture threshold definition whenever it is determined that the threshold if just one, or all the thresholds if more than one, of the gesture threshold definition are exceeded by the recorded sensor output associated with the same sensor output; and implementing the control action represented by the gesture that the user was designated to have performed.