Stan Beer
Friday, 14 July 2006 04:23
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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.