Any sufficiently pervasive general motive is indistinguishable from a conspiracy.

And I call it the "I like standards" mode.
Microsoft keeps releasing new products that break their own UI guidelines. Microsoft way back released a small book that detailed the WIMP interface, and it's sad that they threw it out just for "oooh shiny". I think it's pretty funny that you think navigating as you describe an improvement. The problem with what you described is that if you add an item to the menu the previous keystroke sequence you memorized to run an application becomes ambiguous. I much prefer hitting a sequence of keystrokes identifying the menu I set up. Part of the problem with the start menu is the lack of standardization of the categorization of applications. Way too many application developers think I care what the name of the company is that created their app. Uhhh, No, sorry, all I want to see is the application name on the start menu.
I would love to go to a Microsoft demo and have them use their fancy new products blindfolded just to show how broken their apps are.

Consistency is next to godliness.
Personalized menus break consistency. Someone please go bludgeon the idiot that thought them up. We are creatures of habit. We memorize paths to places, and when any part of the path changes on us we get lost. I memorize the keyboard shortcuts after a while. Whose bright idea was it to hide them anyways?

Is this what it takes to get an open standard? Some 800lb gorilla to come through as an obvious villain? Why aren't we the people refusing to buy into proprietary standards? (Communications protocols, Media formats, App stores)

THIS is why we need orbital laser capabilities. Get rid of the pesky atmospheric problem.
I wonder though, is there a non-linear optics system that can re-focus an earth based laser to a much higher orbit? (Think LEO optical relay)

How about if you heated the whole satellite hot enough to turn it into a gas? When the gas cooled would it be dangerous?

Leave the mom friended, but switch to using another service for the close friends. Post the nasty stuff on the new network only, leave the fb account with only mushy stuff.

He's talking about a big push to put stuff into orbit. I see several scenarios here:

Large solar flare destroying a bunch of satellites, replacement needed.
Some new weapon that can destroy a large number of satellites (ground based X-ray laser or an EMP/Nuclear weapon)
Reagan's Star Wars style satellites chain. I've heard we have some advances in Fiber laser efficiency. Any other recent big advances in beam weaponry?

And there you have it folks. You expect a phone. When you see how well it does movies compared to your phone instead of how poorly it does compared to your computer, you're happy.
The interface simplicity also emphasizes this. We associate complicated interfaces with complex, difficult to use machinery. A 747 cockpit has a ridiculous number of switches, gauges & dials, a door just has a knob.

So how would the toddlers react to our friendly neighborhood aliens? We need more robust testing here people! Do they react positively towards the greys, Alf & alf-like (furry), and negatively towards Xenomorphs?

The proposals to beam microwave energy down from space spec the beam intensity low enough for people to be able to walk around in the beam with no ill effects.

It ceases to be their platform the minute it enters my hot grubby little hands.
It is then MY platform and they can keep their hot grubby greasy slimy anti-competitive hands OFF!

If you "git thar fast with the most" you win with inferior product. Existing market penetration by itself raises a barrier to entry.

You're saying we should pay them to NOT read books?

The government only kick-started the internet with the early DARPA projects and university internet connections. It hasn't been run by the government for a long time. Thank GOODNESS it's not run by the government too, it'd be 5x as expensive & 1/10 the speed.