NEW YORK, Oct 26 (AFP) - Gearing up for the holidays, Apple is coming up with new versions of its leading musical products.
Its iTunes site with its online charging for downloaded music will become available in 10 new countries, including Canada and Belgium.
Meanwhile, its music player iPod got the endorsement of the group U2.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who is recovering from cancer surgery, made a public appearance in California Tuesday together with U2 singer Bono and The Edge, its lead guitar player, to promote a new version of iPod.
"U2 is one of the greatest bands in the world and we are floored to be working with them," Jobs said in a statement.
The partnership that involves recording company Universal Music announced a month ago the release of its new album.
In addition to the new version of iPod that will appear in black and red, the deal calls for Apple to put online through iTunes a full collection of U2 songs.
"The Complete U2," presented as the first virtual anthology, will include 400 songs and "over 25 rare and unreleased tracks."
The collection will be available at the end of November at iTunes Music Store in the United States and Europe, said Apple, who refrained from saying whether iPod U2 will be sold outside the United States.
Bono, known for his campaign against AIDS in the developing world, called iPod "the most exciting object since the electric guitar."
Apple will sell three new models of iPod during the holiday season: two versions of its colored iPod U2, a new iPod Photo will enable users to store 25,000 digital pictures in addition to music.
A 40 GB version of iPod Pohto will be able to store 10,000 songs while a 60 GB version will accommodate 15,000.
10/27/2004 00:06 GMT - AFP