Apple & U2: The Forgettable File

Apple has retained its position at the cutting edge of music and technology with this week’s launch of the Apple Watch alongside a partnership with U2.

Bono, The Edge and the others are teaming up with the tech titan and have released the new album ‘Songs of Innocence’ for free through iTunes until October 13th following a live performance at the Apple launch event yesterday (9th September).

The album features 11 songs and is available in 119 countries on iTunes, iTunes Radio and of course Beats Music now that Apple’s acquisition of the service is complete. A physical release of the U2 album will follow on October 14th.

Commenting at the launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “Music runs deep in Apple’s DNA; it runs through the core of all of our product. Over that time we’ve built a deep relationship with the music industry and the artists that make it up”.

Well, at least they have Bono and Dr Dre onboard- one has to start somewhere. Cook also called the U2 launch “the largest album release of all time”, as it will be released to over half a billion iTunes customers in over 119 countries.

Details of the Apple Watch were also released. Alongside telling the time, the watch will also have maps, Siri and various other apps alongside the capacity to monitor health and fitness and presumably pipe all of your personal data straight to the iCloud to be hacked and exposed if you happen to be a major or even minor celebrity.

It can also control music playing on iPhone or iPad devices around it, alongside storing music locally on the watch, playing through Bluetooth headphones and will be released in 2015.