This person clearly hasn't traveled international in a long time and therefore had very low expectations.

International flights over a certain distance have to serve food.

The only international flight I've been on in the last 3 years which did not have in-seat entertainment was American Airlines flights.

What surprises me most is that we have been unable to find a seating configuration which provides a better use of space than just rows of seats.

Seeing as most people would likely be more comfortable lying down, wouldn't it in some way make more sense to stack people in little pods vertically?

I've never been in an international flight without at least one meal, and these days many long-haul routes have new aircraft with adequate in-flight entertainment -- yes, even on US carriers. It really depends on the specific aircraft. I know from experience that some international American 777s do have power ports in economy (as well as personal monitors). 767s are being retired or upgraded, and Zurich-New York is not a 'core' route for most airlines so it makes sense that the equipment was a little dated.