Wow, how have I not heard of WeMo before? Though Belkin is typically a little overpriced, I think they've opened the door for other companies (Phillips, maybe?) to offer their own version. I'm definitely looking forward to automating my dorm next year.
I wondered the same thing as I've been researching controllable power sockets for a while (although more looking at digital IO/USB control).
I only discovered WeMo today via a comment on Twitter. Though they were announced back in January as available in "US summer" it seems they've been pretty much under the radar since then until now.