Apple requires all their suppliers to sign statements that the source materials (such as minerals) they're selling are 'conflict free'.
However, according to Steve Jobs, there's no way to be 100% sure that the materials aren't from the Congo or other war zones. Apple has no technique to inspect minerals and find out which mine they came from.
This is amusing, more so because I could almost see Apple itself attempting to use this concept. But, it's less cutting than several of the past Yes Men campaigns, possibly because of the congruence between the satirized and the satirical premise. Apple is not particularly egregious in sourcing their materials, nor are they particularly hypocritical about their use of rare-earth elements.
Umm.. Surely they meant 'hardware' here.. or else this is a double-troll..
As you probably know the minerals that are used in the production of various software products have largely been extracted from mines in Africa, especially the Congo. For the most part this mining has gone...
Me too. I'm waiting until someone invents a cavity searching robot and tries to sell it as mandatory given the fact that the TSA claims that the current machines cannot detect items hidden in body cavities.
If I had more graphics skill, I would be tempted to draw out exactly what it would look like, but I'm envisioning a metal chair with straps and a hole in the bottom, through which a chrome tube emerges. The end of the tube then expands to make its passage wide enough, creating a loud, sharp, metallic noise. Finally, a camera comes out from the center of the tube and a red LED on it blinks.
Conflict free iPhones made by Chinese slave labor. There is absolutely no way to get past the fact that someone may have died to bring you that shiny gadget. As disconnected as people are with their food supply, they're even more disconnected to everything else in their homes.
[+] [-] Samuel_Michon|15 years ago|reply
However, according to Steve Jobs, there's no way to be 100% sure that the materials aren't from the Congo or other war zones. Apple has no technique to inspect minerals and find out which mine they came from.
Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/jobs-no-way-to-be-sure-iphon...
[+] [-] philk|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reitzensteinm|15 years ago|reply
That's quite an unfortunate typo!
[+] [-] olefoo|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kefs|15 years ago|reply
As you probably know the minerals that are used in the production of various software products have largely been extracted from mines in Africa, especially the Congo. For the most part this mining has gone...
[+] [-] YooLi|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] alphabeat|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] marze|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Natsu|15 years ago|reply
If I had more graphics skill, I would be tempted to draw out exactly what it would look like, but I'm envisioning a metal chair with straps and a hole in the bottom, through which a chrome tube emerges. The end of the tube then expands to make its passage wide enough, creating a loud, sharp, metallic noise. Finally, a camera comes out from the center of the tube and a red LED on it blinks.
"It wont hurt as much if you try to relax."
[+] [-] aw3c2|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikedanko|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
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