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Bill is an updated version of a 2009 legislation

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has approved bill H.R.3834, better known as the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012. The bill overhauls federal policies for funding research and development in the growing network and information technology field. This is an updated version of similar legislation that was passed by the committee back in 2009.
 
The committee passed the bill by a voice vote. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Research and Science Education Subcommittee Chairman Mo Brooks (R-AL); Ranking Member Daniel Lipinski (D-IL); along with Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The bill reauthorizes the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act called NITRD.
 
“I would like to point out that our efforts on this bill have been a true illustration of the bipartisan work for which this Committee and this Congress is capable,” said Chairman Hall. 
 
The act covers policies for funding research and development investments for unclassified networking, computing, software, cyber security, and other related information technology. The technology covered could range anywhere from smartphones to cloud computing and anywhere in between. We can also be sure a lot of investment will also be made in cyber-security with hacking an all-time high.
 
“These investments are necessary not only to help maintain world leadership in science and engineering and strengthen U.S. competitiveness, but also to grow the economy through the creation of networking and information technology jobs and enhance national security,” Chairman Brooks said.  “I applaud the Committee’s approval of this important bipartisan legislation.”
 
Technology developed under the new bill will also look into ways of minimizing and preventing disruptions to the critical infrastructure around the country such as the power grid and communications systems. There is a growing fear that hackers could infiltrate utility such as the electrical grid and cause damage that could lead to widespread outages and other problems inside America.
 
Rep. Biggert added, “The NITRD program provides critical support for some of the most promising research on the high-end computing horizon. American scientists are using these computing technologies to accelerate the pace of research on everything from new energy sources to new medicines.  I applaud Chairman Hall for his bipartisan work on this proposal, which will reauthorize and strengthen the NITRD program for the 21st century.”

Sources: The Hill, Science.house.gov

Article source: http://www.dailytech.com/House+Approves+Bill+HR+3834+for+Unclassified+Networking+and+IT+Funding/article23963.htm

Recent coverage of the inhumane conditions at the Foxconn plant, where Apple manufactures its goods, has angered Apple customers enough to take action just short of denouncing their iProducts. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., a group of Apple-owning protesters will descend on New York City’s new Grand Central Terminal store, hoping to convince Apple to enact a worker protection strategy. As Apple-philes, these groups don’t want to have to get rid of their tech gadgets of choice. They’d prefer keep their iPhones and have Apple fix the system, instead.

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This protest is a physical manifestation of online petitions from Change.org and Sum of Us, which together have gotten more than 250,000 signatures. Both outline the “appalling” conditions at Foxconn, asking Apple to move toward more ethical practices. Specifically, they want Apple to implement a worker protection program. From Change.org:

We ask that Apple release a worker protection strategy for new product releases, which are the instances when injuries and suicides typically spike because of the incredible pressure to meet quotas timed to releases.

They also want Apple to publish the results of the Fair Labor Association’s monitoring of its suppliers, and to increase transparency and therefore accountability. Reasonable requests on behalf of humanity. 

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But most of all, these Apple-philes want to continue owning their beloved iThings with pride. “Please make these changes immediately, so that each of us can once again hold our heads high and say, ‘I’m a Mac person,’” notes the Change.org petition. ”I use an iPhone myself,” said Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director of SumOfUs, in a press release via Business Insider. “I love it, but I don’t love having to support sweatshops,” she continued. “The hip, educated market that Apple aspires to corner is largely composed of responsible consumers who don’t want to be complicit in sweatshop labor.” 

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-users-protest-dont-want-iphones-212427615.html