Apple releases RED apps for AIDS charity

APPLE will again donate a slice of its global sales to anti-AIDS charity (RED) in the lead up to World AIDS Day.

Angry Birds (RED) app

APPLE will again donate a slice of its global sales to anti-AIDS charity (RED) in the lead up to World AIDS Day on December 1.

“For the next two weeks, a special section of the App Store called “Apps for (RED)” will offer 24 apps with exclusive new content where all proceeds will go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS,” Apple said in a statement.

“In addition, Apple will donate a portion of sales at Apple’s retail and online stores around the world on one of its biggest shopping days of the year: Monday, 1 December.”

Over the years Apple has raised more than $US75 million for (RED) which was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono and Kennedy family activist Bobby Shriver.

The Apple-Bono (RED) connection began in the days of Steve Jobs’ with reports of Jobs and Bono arguing, among other things, about the use of parentheses in (RED)’s branding appearing in Apple’s stores.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had been involved in the (RED) project for eight years.

“For eight years, our customers have been helping fight AIDS in Africa by funding lifesaving treatments which are having a profoundly positive impact,” Mr Cook said.

“This year we are launching our biggest fundraising push yet with the participation of Apple’s retail and online stores, and some of the brightest minds in the App Store are lending their talents to the effort as well.”

Recently Bono again collaborated with Apple in a $US100 million promotion which saw Apple offer free copies of U2’s “Songs of Innocence” album to about 500 million iTunes account holders, following the release of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

U2 played the album’s signature song live to journalists attending the iPhone launch event.

But the deal hit a snag when some iTunes users complained that the album had been automatically downloaded to their accounts. Nevertheless Apple has said some 81 million people accessed songs from the LP.

Bono meanwhile is recovering from a serious cycling accident in New York that may see him out of action for up to three months, and may force U2 to postpone an upcoming world tour.

Apple says that from now until December 7, all proceeds will go to the (RED) global fund every time a customer purchases a participating app or in-app purchase.

On World AIDS Day, Apple says it will donate a portion of every sale at Apple’s retail and online stores to the global fund.

Apps with (RED) content can be found in apps such as Angry Birds, Bubble Witch 2, CSR Racing, Clash of Clans, Cut the Rope 2, FarmVille 2, GarageBand, and The Sims FreePlay.