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They’re confusing feature assessment with product assessment. That mistake happens all the time on the internet.

2 days ago on Google Hangouts upgrade removes ability to host Google Voice calls on your computer

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I don’t really understand this comment. Google is a U.S. based company. There are plenty of companies in other countries that offer services americans can’t access. The main difference is that we typically don’t know or care about them. Second, we don’t really know why other countries never got this service. It could be that it would be a legal quagmire that Google has yet to decide to take on. If this is the case it is the fault of your own governments that you have yet to get gmail calling. Finally, if people in the U.S. are losing this service, that means you will likely never get it.

Also, the fact that you bothered to comment suggests that aren’t indifferent to this subject, and in fact have a strong feeling of entitlement to a service from a company based in another country. All in all I really don’t get the point of this comment.

2 days ago on Google Hangouts upgrade removes ability to host Google Voice calls on your computer 1 reply 29 recommends

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Because they don’t make “real” UIs. Real UIs must allow for accessing and interacting with a wide variety of information in a simple and intuitive, movie UIs however are suppose to convey scripted information in an engaging way for an outside observer. The two ideas are completely separate in goal and execution. Most if not all of the UI elements used in these movies would never work in real life for a variety of reasons.

This question is like asking “why people don’t sing their emotions like in movies?” The answer is that real life doesn’t work that way.

4 days ago on The man behind famous 'Minority Report' interface is back for 'Star Trek Into Darkness' 2 replies 19 recommends

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But couldn’t this set up a system where companies just wait 38 years before stealing great works? Ender’s Game came out in 1985, it’s 28 years old. I’m betting producers would wait another 10 years to save significant royalties. Then again, perhaps this is not a concern because movies are increasingly required to “strike while the iron is hot” due to increased division in popular culture due to the onset of the internet age.

Still, I personally think there should be a difference between “remixing” (as you put it), direct redistribution,and “reinterpretation” (like making a movie from a book). I’m ok with Ender’s Game getting re-published without royalties at this point, but I would want a movie to give credit where credit is Due.

I wouldn’t consider it right for say a Captain America movie to be made with no payment to the authors because it is out of copyright.

4 days ago on 'Free speech doesn't mean free stuff': Congress begins copyright reform with a plea for civility