Apple and Nike up and running at last

By Stan Beer
Friday, 14 July 2006 05:23

Your IT - Home IT

It has taken nearly two months since the original announcement but as promised the Nike+iPod Sport Kit is finally no longer vapourware. For US$29, fitness conscious consumers will be able to incorporate a device with a range of Nike running shoes to track their performance on iPod Nanos while they're training.

The Nike+iPod Sport Kits allows the runner to receive audible updates on speed, distance and calories burned upon request throughout the run, according to both companies. The system, involves a chip with wireless transmitter inserted into the lining of a shoe and a receiver attached to the iPod.

As previosly reported on iTWire, the software part includes embedded software to track performance and a voice over to communicate the details to the runner, with a new menu item on the Nano called Nike+iPod, which is added via a software download. Completing the system is a special section on iTunes called Nike Sport Music Selection and an exercise management section on the NikePlus website.

Accordng to Nike, the device can be incorporate in a range of its consumer oriented sports shoes.

What is not clear, is whether the arrangement between Apple and Nike is exclusive. Pardon the pun, but this technology would be a shoe-in with a number of sporting footwear manufacturers.