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Red iPod supports AIDS charity

Apple and others are selling red products to support a Bono-backed fund that fights AIDS in Africa. Photos: Nano Red

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
Candace Lombardi
2 min read
Apple Computer has teamed with rock star Bono to launch a new iPod Nano whose sales will help raise funds to fight AIDS.

For every iPod Nano Red Special Edition sold, Apple will donate $10 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Nano Red

The company released the red 4GB iPod Nano on Friday for $199. The digital media player has the same specifications as other 4GB Nanos, with a 1.5-inch screen and up to 24 hours of play time on a fully charged battery. The device can store about 1,000 songs.

The announcement of the iPod Nano Red is part of a cross-brand campaign called (Product) Red. Several companies are offering red products whose sale proceeds include a donation to the AIDS charity, which was established in 2002 with the support of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders.

Friday marked the U.S. launch of the (Product) Red campaign. The campaign kicked off in the U.K. in January.

In addition to Apple's participation, Motorola is offering a red Razr cell phone, for example, while The Gap is selling a red leather jacket (modeled in newspaper ads by movie director Steven Spielberg), a red T-shirt and other items.

There are also Web sites such as (Blog) Red, a MySpace page, and a Flickr page that promote the charity project and offer information on AIDS in Africa.

Bono already had an existing relationship with Apple. The company has released two versions of the U2 Special Edition iPod, an iPod loaded with content recorded by Bono's band. Bono has also appeared in several commercials for iPods and iTunes.