Will the network outlet in your home become a universal power supply?   The chances are good that it will.  The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers has approved the use of traditional network cables to deliver low voltage power to the network outlet.  A new standard, 802.3af, provides the first global standard for power.  While the standard is just months old manufacturers are already demonstrating products that use the new power source.  There are the things that come to mind like web cameras, wireless network access points, security devices, etc. that will use this new source of power but there are other products being demostrated such as an electric shaver that draws it's power from a network outlet.  Children of today will grow up and use network powered devices just as we use standard 110volt A/C powered devices currently.