Volvo will use blockchain to prove its cobalt wasn’t mined by children

The dark side of electric vehicle production is that the lithium ion batteries most EVs run on require raw materials like cobalt, and cobalt mines have become notorious for using child labor. Now that Volvo has revealed its first fully-electric car,...

The Fairphone 3 packs in features while keeping its green credentials

Fairphone, the company that wants to get ethically-responsible smartphones into the hands of consumers worldwide, has unveiled the third iteration of its modular device. Fairphone 3, launched under the tagline, "The phone that dares to be fair," is a...

You can’t buy an ethical smartphone today

Any ethical, non-🍏 📱 recommendations? It all started with a WhatsApp message from my friend, an environmental campaigner who runs a large government sustainability project. She's the most ethical person I know and has always worked hard to push me,...

Fairphone hits its production goal, promises to deliver more ethical smartphone by October

Fairphone hits its production goal, promises to deliver more ethical smartphone by October

It's spent the last few months talking up its ambitious plan to produce what it describes as a more ethical smartphone, and Dutch startup Fairphone is now one fairly big step closer to realizing that goal. The company hit its production target of 5,000 pre-orders yesterday, with eight days still left in its initial campaign that will see early customers get a "limited edition" version of the phone for €325 (or roughly $425). While the phone itself appears to be a relatively capable device (if a tad behind the curve in terms of specs), its real selling point is of course how it's made. Fairphone is promising to use conflict-free resources in its construction, and says that it's working with its factory in China to ensure better working conditions and wages; three euros from each phone sold will also go to a program that works to remove electronic waste from Ghana.

Speaking to ZDNet, Fairphone's Miquel Ballester does admit that "we are not 100 percent conflict-free," suggesting that's all but impossible given the current state of the industry where the "supply chain has become so difficult." He also notes, however, that "this is just the start," and that they hope to make more changes as the company grows in scale. Those interested in can find out more about the phone (and get their pre-order in) at the links below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video)

PBS draws link between digital music rights and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple video

AAC files and the arcane don't have much in common on the surface. After some digging, however, PBS' Idea Channel has found that magic is an uncannily good analogy for digital music rights and explaining the thorny ethical issues that come with them. Both music and spells stem from grassroots cultures that give away their content for free, but (at least until an anti-magic clampdown at eBay) have since become businesses. That nature poses a key ethical question: when we're used to a free experience and can copy songs or spells as much as we like, what does it take to keep us as honest customers? As show host Mike Rugnetta suggests, it's a matter of personal responsibility -- if we want more of either, we have to think of the commerce as showing support for future work. You can catch Mike's clever train of thought after the break, and ponder what constitutes DRM for a potion while you're at it.

Continue reading PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video)

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PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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