UI bloopers in film —a fun review of the ridiculous interfaces of Hollywood. How the cool factor, plot demands, and restriction of the medium contribute to more-than-questionable interface designs in the movies. As Nielsen notes, mostly this doesn’t really matter in terms of real world technology. But he wonders if it influences audience expectations…
He left off one of my favorites: the virus download in Independence Day. Well, the whole film is full of unlikelihoods, starting with Will Smith’s uncanny ability to fly alien craft with no training or mishap other than a minor parking violation. But the human race’s ability to crack the security system of a space-faring race with a killer computer virus, then figure out the interface required to download it is truly astonishing.