Probably Adobe After Effects. Or some other simplified animation platform for businesses but it's impossible to tell from the video alone. Hell, if you wanted (and hated yourself) you could make this in powerpoint.
I'm not an expert, but I believe it's more to do with them being in one position for very long, so it wouldn't matter in what position that would be. As long as you turn them open and then close them again once every few months, any calcium buildup would break loose. Maybe someone who is an expert can back me up :)
We have hand scanners you can take with you through the store. I pack everything into collapsible crates as I go, so at the checkout it's just putting the scanner back and paying.
It depends on where you draw the line (heh) on "straightness" and "flatness". Some planes on gems or geodes are pretty flat, but probably not perfectly flat. Another example is a spider's web between two points. That's a pretty straight line if it's taut, but again, probably not exactly perfect.
And what is their opinion on impromptu barbecues?