The Na'vi really are little more than noble savages. But they hold out a particular hope that's attractive for technological late-capitalist humans; they feel "connected". In the movie, that metaphor is taken all the way to be a literal connection -- to their communities, to their ancestors, to a spirituality, to their working animals, to the entire ecosystem.
I think that's the only way to understand their ponytail USB cables, and the root-mesh information network. It may be amusing to pretend that it's a hard-SF piece and work out the implications, but it's just not. It's a fantasy piece about the longing for connectedness.
There is (maybe) a secondary theme of viewing an ecosystem as a giant information exchange. But that wasn't explored well.
Just saw the movie, and it was great! I'm not sure the interconnectedness was intended as information transfer, though. They had to communicate with the other tribes by actually going there. It seemed like the network was more like the brain of a planetary organism (eywa). Each individual could access and add to the memories, but was not a communication network. An interesting approach--they truly are "one with the world" in a way other sci-fi (Babylon 5, for example) does inelegantly.
I think that's the only way to understand their ponytail USB cables, and the root-mesh information network. It may be amusing to pretend that it's a hard-SF piece and work out the implications, but it's just not. It's a fantasy piece about the longing for connectedness.
There is (maybe) a secondary theme of viewing an ecosystem as a giant information exchange. But that wasn't explored well.