New iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus,  WATCH, etc. Yeah the usual stuff. Looks great. Can't wait to upgrade to an iPhone 6 this month. Read Macstories review for more on that.

What was really exciting and surprising for me was the fact that U2 performed at the end of the keynote. They performed a new song, The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone), and announced that they were giving away their new album to all iTunes account holders. Go here to get it for free via iTunes.

Shipping their new album through iTunes to 500 million potential listeners is a big deal. To put that into perspective, 'No Line on the Horizon', U2's previous album, sold 1.1 million copies in the U.S.

The album will be available to everyone who doesn't have an iTunes account in mid-October:

On Oct. 14, the 11-song “Songs of Innocence” will be released (including a deluxe version with four additional tracks) through other physical and online retailers. The album was recorded in Dublin, London, New York and Los Angeles, and produced by Danger Mouse and other producers.

Exciting times ahead if you believe Bono the salesman:

We’re collaborating with Apple on some cool stuff over the next couple of years, innovations that will transform the way music is listened to and viewed. We’ll keep you posted. If you like Songs of Innocence,  stay with us for Songs of Experience. It should be ready soon enough… although I know I’ve said that before…

I love the brutal honesty/vanity/everything in the last paragraph:

I hope after listening to our new long player a few times, you’ll understand why it took so long. We really went there… it’s a very, very personal album. Apologies if that gets excruciating… actually, I take that back. No apologies if it gets excruciating. What’s the point in being in U2 if you can’t go there?

Gotta go back and listen for the second time and see what grows one me.