Apple’s new New iPad has been set loose upon the world today, giving consumers to think about something other than Apple’s dubious labor practices. Meanwhile, in the world of companies that have a high standard for the quality of life of employees, Texas Instruments, makers of amazing toys of my youth but now mostly a manufacturer of notable graphing calculators, has been named one of the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the sixth year in a row.

“Ethical behavior and decisions are about how we expect one another to behave in this world — about being competitive and accountable and making sure our values are at the heart of the culture we want to have. This culture has served TI well for more than 80 years and has the ability to be the longest term competitive advantage we have. It’s the way we do business,” said Rich Templeton, Texas Instrument President and CEO. “TI is just as good as all of us behave as individuals.”

This is the sixth year Ethisphere has published the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” rankings. The Ethisphere Institute reviewed hundreds of companies and evaluated a record number of applications using its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming the companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year’s list. The 2012 list features companies in more than three dozen industries, including 40 companies headquartered outside the United States. The full list will appear in Ethisphere Magazine’s first-quarter issue.

“We take ethical leadership and corporate citizenship seriously at TI, and we’re honored to be included again on this year’s list,” said David Reid, Texas Instrument Vice President and Director of Ethics. “TI understands that ethical practices not only support a stronger and more solid business overall, but they benefit the community and raise the bar for ethics and integrity within the industry.”

The full list won’t be available until May so we’ll have to wait till then to find out how less scrupulous tech companies that manufacture our most revered gadgets are busily destroying the lives of their workers.