Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Nike+iPod Sport Kit
Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 11:02 AM EDT"For a field already glutted with gadgets, the Nike + iPod kit is the most elegant of high-tech runner's aids. An instrument the size of a pebble measures your pace from a pocket inside one of Nike's specially designed shoes. The pebble streams data to a computer that keeps time and calculates caloric burn. Instead of making you buy a whole new computerized accessory, Nike and Apple decided to use a computer you may already own, an iPod nano," Wilson Rothman reports for Time.
"While the system is good at guesstimating distances, it's not perfect. When my wife and I tested it, it tended to say we went a tad farther than we really did. Serious runners should calibrate it to their stride. To do this, you go to a place where you know an exact distance (Apple suggests a school track), and follow simple instructions under the Calibrate menu item," Rothman reports. "The pebble turns itself on and off automatically, and has an internal battery will last about 1,000 hours — that's an hour a day for nearly three years. You can't replace the battery, but its replacement cost will be negligible, especially after that period."
Rothman writes, "The price of the product itself is $29, but there are some hidden costs you should know about. You can't wear just any shoes."
MacDailyNews Note: That's incorrect. You can wear your favorite running shoes. More info: Using Apple’s iPod Sport Kit with non-Nike shoes
Rothman continues, "The nano itself costs between $149 to $249."
Full article here.
The Nike+iPod Sport Kit costs US$29 and contains:
• wireless sensor for Nike+ shoes
• Wireless receiver for iPod nano
• Printed documentation
More information about the Nike+iPod Sport Kit can be found here.
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Related articles:
Mossberg and Boehret give Nike+iPod Sport Kit two thumbs up - July 19, 2006
PC Magazine review gives ‘Nike+iPod Sport Kit’ 4.5 out of 5 stars - July 18, 2006
Using Apple’s iPod Sport Kit with non-Nike shoes - July 17, 2006
Apple’s Nike+iPod Sport Kit officially released today (link to High-res photos) - July 13, 2006
Apple releases iTunes 6.0.5 with Nike+iPod Sport Kit sync features - June 29, 2006
Nike+iPod Sport Kit now available for order at Apple Store - June 13, 2006
Dvorak thinks iPod+Nike Sport Kit is ‘nutty’ - May 24, 2006
The making of Apple iPod+Nike Sport Kit and there's more to come - May 24, 2006
Nike+iPod Sport Kit sensor's battery will outlast the shoes - May 24, 2006
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
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Doesn't it seem like everything Apple makes becomes a Time Magazine Gadget of the Week?