Obama Finishes Trip Highlighting Innovation & Technology Industry in Austin - East Idaho News
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Obama Finishes Trip Highlighting Innovation & Technology Industry in Austin

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Getty 051812 PresidentObamaG8Departure?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1368144039932JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages(AUSTIN, Texas) — President Obama rounded out his tour of Austin, Texas, by speaking at Applied Materials, a company that provides equipment, services and software to the semiconductor, flat panel display and solar industries, as he highlighted the innovation occurring in the Austin area.
 
“If you watch the news sometimes you may think that it’s just doom and gloom out there, but the truth is there’s incredible stuff going on all across America and right here in Austin that I think could be good models for the rest of America to follow,” the president said.
 
The president touted the two executive orders announced earlier Thursday and argued that there are bipartisan steps that can be taken to ensure technology research is enhanced.
 
“There’s some key things that we can do that shouldn’t be ideological. They’re not Democratic ideas or Republican ideas or independent ideas. They’re just good ideas that allow the government to help create the foundation, the platform, the environment for companies like applied materials to thrive,” the president said.

 

Prior to the speech, the president toured the Applied Materials factory, where he examined the cleaning of “wafers,” which are eventually processed and become chips found in electronics such as iPads and smartphones.  In his speech, the president commented on the pristine condition of the factory line and the detail that is paid to cleaning the wafers, saying he would go back to the White House with some tips to share with his daughters about tidying up their rooms.
 
“The precision that you operate on, if that’s how you define a clean room, then Sasha and Malia are going to have to step up their game at home because it is not that clean,” the president joked.
 
The president also made a stop at Capital Factory, a tech start-up incubator, where he met with technology entrepreneurs and was presented with several company demonstrations.
 
And what did he think of that barbecue he shared with a few Austin residents over talk of jobs and the economy at lunch at Stubb’s BBQ?
 
“We also had good barbecue which, which you know is necessary for economic growth, some good barbecue once and a while,” the president joked.
 
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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