While the technology is very different, I argue how they impact our lives, particularly in the context of this article, is very similar. The article talks about Apple's "you're more powerful than you think" masking how Apple still controls the technology. The same can be said of a utility: you can do whatever you want with the electricity, assuming the utility keeps your home connected, assuming they keep the voltage within spec, assuming they hold the frequency constant. You can do whatever you want with it as long as they allow you to. Similarly, I can do whatever I want with my Apple computer, as long as it fits within the parameters of what they've designed. My argument is electricity and natural gas and the internet of things are similar in the context of how important they are in our lives and our inability to control our access to the functions they provide.