The minerals used in your iPhone...

[Agent OrangeZ]

Cool story:
http://cnettv.cnet.com/inside-rare-earth-mineral-mine/9742-1_53-50130426.html

 

[vastoholic]

That was actually pretty cool.

 

[KPOM]

So are most of the minerals for the iPhone 5 mined in the Mojave Desert? I ask because "conflict minerals" is actually a big subject right now. The US passed requirements in 2010 that companies report whether they use minerals imported from countries like the "Democratic" Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), as a lot of the profits from those mines goes to prop up dictatorial regimes.