“Apple and Nike have unveiled an iPod gizmo to put more rhythm in your run: the Nike+iPod Sports Kit, the first product coming out of a new partnership between the companies. The wireless kit lets Nike’s new Air Zoom Moire shoes send fitness data to your iPod Nano — via a sensor you tuck inside the running shoe and a small receiver that attaches to the Nano. As you run, the sensor records your distance, time, pace and calories burned in real time and displays data on the Nano. At the push of a button, audio feedback is delivered through Nano’s earbuds,” Edward C. Baig reports for USA Today.
How Nike+iPod works video:
Direct link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVDEXzxZWQw
You can customize a workout (how far, how long) and choose playlists to hear on the run. You can also set up a ‘PowerSong’ that kicks in when you need to summon a burst of energy. From the Nano, you can upload workout data to Apple’s iTunes and a new nikeplus.com website. You can track progress over time and compete virtually with other runners,” Baig reports. “Jobs and [Nike CEO Mark Parker] say the sensor’s battery will outlast the shoes… The $29 kit will be available within 60 days at Apple stores and shops where Nike footwear is sold. “It’s a really inexpensive accessory for two premium-priced products,” says Ross Rubin of the NPD Group research firm. Of course, you’ll have to spend at least $149 for the Nano and $100 for the shoes. Six other iPod-ready Nike shoe models are coming.”
Full article here.
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Related articles:
Analyst: Nike+Apple = iPod as a platform – May 23, 2006
Apple and Nike shares rise folowing Nike+iPod announcement – May 23, 2006
Nike and Apple team up to launch Nike+iPod, footwear that talks to your iPod – May 23, 2006
when creative says “oh we have far surpassed the ipod’
mac users will say “can yours talk to shoes?”
wow talking to shoes, but its cool that we will get bluetooth support
MDN Magic Word: Heavy as in these shoes are heavy
$30 for the kit, $100 for a battery replacement by Apple
We won’t get bluetooth support… fool.
Where did anything mention bluetooth? It’s true that bluetooth operates at around 2.4 ghz and so do the shoes, but so do cordless phones and about a million other wireless products. Why jump the gun and claim that iPods will get bluetooth support before anybody reputable actually says that they will. (if you read it on TUAW, go back and reread it–TUAW changed their mind about bluetooth support).
It’s so inexpensive at $29 that the point is obviously that you just grab a new Sport Kit when the battery finally dies in the sensor.
i meant that they will be bluetooth transmitters, not headphones
Runner – duh it was a joke
either this is a good article about battery life, or a really bad indication of the quality of nike quality. I can’t decide.
why do you think it will be a bluetooth transmitter? as great as that would be, there is nothing I know of that at all implies the transmitters will be bluetooth. Let me know if I am wrong though, I would love to be able to bluetooth my iPod.
well there are already bluetooth ipod headphones
1: Buy the kit
2: Use a ankle strap.
3: Resell the shoes on eBay.
4: Profit!!
I still don’t think the Nike shoes are a requirement, I plan on sticking this in the laces of my Adidas shoes.
Just about everyone who runs around here has a iPod now.
Out of 10 runners
1: 8 iPods
2: 1 some off brand Mp3 player.
3: 1 cd player, skip , skip , skip.
Of course you can’t run with a pair of [url=”http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum26.html”>these on.[/url]
This is a very clever campaign, Apple is focusing on a large target market as well as making itself appear more of a “consumer products” company like it originally intended.
It’s a radical change from the old Apple.
And now for your lesson of the day….
When targeting consumers known to be consistent Internet users, undercover marketers have taken a significant interest in leveraging Internet chat rooms and forums. In these settings, people tend to perceive everyone as peers, the semi-anonymity reduces the risk of being found out, and one marketer can personally influence a large number of people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercover_marketing
just a test, sorry ………………..
Why is this post not being excepted?
Apple also quietly announced the Rob Glaser+iPod partnership. Steve Jobs stated that he was, “Thrilled to be partnering with Mr. Glaser”. “We really think it is time for a product like this, and Mr. Glaser is a perfect match” stated Jobs.
The new Rob Glaser+iPod comes with a real-time electronic waist measuring band and a feeding tube that will calculate the enormous amount of calories that morbidly obese people continue to consume each day. A $50.00 heart monitor upgrade will warn you of impending heart-attacks as well. “I’m really glad to be part of this partnership with Apple” Glaser said. “It’s really a great product, and when I dock it the included software automatically calculates how long I have to live, then chooses the appropriate songs from the iTunes Music Store and automatically loads them onto my iPod – It doesn’t get any easier than this!”. When asked what song was his current favorite from the playlist the software generated for him, he stated confidently, “Oh, definitely Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult.”
^^^ Ahhhh…..there it is. You can disregard that first line now.
the better question is WHICH APPLE NOTEBOOK IS ON THE TABLE?? 4:3 aspect, infrared in front – should be recent one with front row support. is that 12″ macbook pro??
I have to say I thought that Apple should be persuing this sort of relationship a year or more ago indeed thought the HP cooperation was going to be the start of a whole range of these agreements. What better way to leverage more demand and more importantly keep the extended ecosystem so systemic that any competitor will find it difficult to compete even if they produce great products- you know rather like the Mac in the Windows world. Perhaps this is a marketing decision to bring in such agreements just as iPod demand starts to level off to give it another boost.
It will be interesting to see if this is the start of many such agreements, the potential is substantial and maybe the timing is correct as the iPod (and mp3 players generally) are progressively breaking free from their original function and gaining new capabilities. As an outflanking move this really could spell the end for the opposition and says everything about the advantage in the ‘all in a box’ model that Apple is persuing with the iPod giving the consistency and focus MS will find it difficult to match even if they can match it on performance.
I’m curious about the audible feedback component of all this… How is this achieved? I mean, will the audio clip database be stored on the Nike chip thing (that’s plugged in to the iPod), or will it be done via an iPod firmware update…? If it’s the latter, there’s a chance that we may see audible feedback while searching for songs, as was recently patented by Apple.
That’s a 12″ PowerBook G4 on his desk.
I really want to know what song is playing in that commercial. Anybody know?
I think this will sell well – but why can’t the running pace adjust the BPM on the iPod to fit…? It’s akward to run at one pace and listen to music in another.
How is that a 12″ powerbook? at the beginning you can clearly see an isight at the top and grilles either side of the keyboard. not to mention the widescreen; at the end of the ad there’s a remote sensor on the front.
Leads me to believe macbook pro
Does the very beginning of this commercial remind anyone else of the very first iPod commercial? They look very similar, except the dude is different and the song is different. Does this mean that Apple can sue themselves?
Did Apple create an SDK for programming the iPod along with its new wireless capabilities and is it available to developers? This would be a gigantic and positive step. Imagine the possibilities of other companies making an iPod a key part of their own products. iPod as a platform is the way forward.
watch more of these type monitoring things to hit the market soon.
one for the bicycle, etc.,e tc. etcccccccc.