New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use

When President Obama put his pen to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act last week, it wasn't just financial reform he signed into law, but also a stipulation that may affect your gadget purchases down the road. You see, at present your technology includes some amount of tantalum, tungsten and tin, three rare earths that happen to be mined heavily in the Congo... and thus indirectly linked to poverty, rape and death. The new US law won't stop that, and doesn't restrict any sort of trade -- it merely requires companies to disclose the use of such materials in independent audits filed with their annual financial reports. It does, however, allow companies that don't use bloody rocks to label their products "conflict-free," so we're sure astute marketing gurus are developing plenty of new all-plastic gizmos even as we speak. For the children, of course.

[Troyb0y29 Posted Jul 26th 2010 11:36AM]

I am not afraid to say this because it is true. Obama is in office because he is black. Most of his voters only saw his skin color and nothing else. Now we are left with fudged up health care and an oil spill. Did u know other countries offered to help but Obama said no. The Oil Spill = Obama's Katrina.

[garybauer Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:11PM]

@Troyb0y29 Actually Obama is in office because of McCain and Palin.

[CharlesB Posted Jul 26th 2010 3:43PM]

@Troyb0y29 Lets dead that "elected because he's black" argument please. With your logic, Flava Flav could of ran for President and won... he's black too, right? Blame the Republican's "hail mary" ticket and lack of ideas as the biggest cause of their loss. Not the color of Obama's skin.

And the oil spill would of happened regardless of who was in office because the MMS (who SHOULD have been overseeing BP and others) was in bed with the oil industry and didn't perform the necessary audits and regulations. It happened on Obama's watch, so it's on him, of course. But I'm pleased with the moves he's made to ensure it doesnt happen again (removed the people in charge, splitting the department up into 3 divisions all overseen by the DOI, etc.).

PS
To compare this oil spill to Katrina is insulting to the millions of people who were affected by the storm. Men, women, and children were DYING due to the lack of response from the Government. This is an Apples/Oranges argument dude... smh



I am not afraid to say this because it is true. Obama is in office because he is black. Most of his voters only saw his skin color and nothing else. Now we are left with fudged up health care and an oil spill. Did u know other countries offered to help but Obama said no. The Oil Spill = Obama's Katrina.

[Troyb0y29 Posted Jul 26th 2010 7:03PM]

Oh yeah then how come he ain't letting other countries help us. We can surely help everyone else. Oh and we are still in Iraq just saying. I didn't like McCain but I liked him better than Obama and the guy who is angry at the world.

Hey i just tell things the way I see them. I could have said something completely stupid like Obama is a terrorist because his middle name is Hussain.

If there are still people suffering then why doesn't Obama take care of that too.

I did like Obama when he just got in office. He was actually trying. I liked it when he called Kanye West after what he did. I ain't a Republican or Democrat I choose whoever is better for the job and who is less corrupted. I live in NJ and our last Gov was full of corruption. He didn't get his 1% tax increase so he shut the state down. He shut the casinos in AC and the horse racing track.

One more thing. There are people who voted for McCain because he is white but there were more people who voted for Obama because of his skin color. I'm serious. I know some people that did

[egress63 Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:07PM]

test

[magallanes Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:22PM]

@egress63

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[VanNorden Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:46PM]

Who cares where they came from, I think conflict dimonds are even more exotic and would make me more interested in the product

[bkedersha Posted Jul 26th 2010 3:18PM]

I will make sure to go out of my way to by Non-Conflict free devices!

[kenny goo Posted Jul 26th 2010 4:03PM]

The sad fact of the matter is that one of the biggest parts of a president's power is merely signing shit. Hopefully he signs more shit like this in the future. Simple as that.