Last year, we wrote aboutLife Fitness' plan to build exercise equipment with built-in iPod integration, allowing users do dock their iPod and control it from the machine itself.
This week, 24 Hour Fitness (the largest fitness club chain in the United States) announced their intention to install similar equipment at locations in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, Portland and Salt Lake City. Unlike the Life Fitness machines, equipment at the 24 Hour Fitness clubs will record workout data in the same way that the Nike+ kit for the iPod does, and prepare it for upload at NikePlus.com. Expect the new machines to begin to arrive in July.
One of our readers wrote in asking whether the iPhone could possibly replace the Nike sports kit and work as a pedometer with its onboard accelerometer.
Short answer? It already does. The (jailbreak) iPhone pedometer project is open source and available on Google code. The iPhone's three onboard accelerometer sensors allow you to capture force vectors and figure out when the force changes direction as you take a step.
None of the iPhone-specific solutions that I've tried from Installer.app seem to work as well as my wiimote does on my treadmill with Wii Fit. I'd imagine that the iPhone will catch up quickly once the AppStore takes off.
Apple and Nike have sold millions of those tiny little transmitters that fit inside running shoes, as well as the receivers that attach to iPod nanos. Casual runners and former couch potatoes enjoyed them (yours truly included), but more serious runners lamented the lack of certain features, most notably a heart monitor.
According to iPodNN, a patent has been filed which hints at a slew of additional Nike+ functionality, like EKG, heartrate, body temperature and even hydration, through new equipment mounted "on or in" articles of clothing.
It definitely sounds cool, and could help convince more serious athletes to join the Apple cult buy these cool products.
Multiple sources are repeating Stuff.tv's report that Apple is planning to bring the Nike+ system to the iPhone and iPod touch. Nike+ is of course a special kit, originally made for iPod nano, that will record the distance and length of a walk or run -- you stick the little sensor in your shoe, and it works as a timer and pedometer to record personal workout stats.
Stuff also reports that in addition to bringing along the sensor system, the new Nike+ system may also be able to take advantage of the iPhone's and touch's wifi by sending stats from the sensor directly to Nike's online database,where a new "Coach" system will help you schedule runs and activities.
Sounds pretty amazing. Of course, this is only the beginning of the kind of "life management" software that we'll see coming out of the SDK. Stuff suggests that your iPhone will help you know when go to out and for how long, but of course we know that by the time June comes around it'll be able to do a lot more than that.
Apple and Nike are about to extend their partnership all the way to the gym.
A few years ago, Apple and Nike announced the Nike+ line of products, including workout clothing designed to accommodate an iPod nano. The main product is a small chip which, when placed inside a sneaker, transmits workout data to a receiver on the user's iPod. That data is then transmitted to a special Nike website to chart progress towards goals, etc.
This week, the two companies announced their collaboration on gym equipment that will do the same thing. When connected to an iPod (how is not clear), it will record information on the user's workout which can later be uploaded to the Nike website.
Sounds pretty interesting. All you've got to do now is convince your gym to buy all new equipment.
I'm a fan of watches, so I have been interested in the Nike Amp+ Remote Control for awhile. That's the watch/iPod remote control from Nike that works with your iPod Nano /Nike+ combo. It will let you start, stop, and fast forward music, as well as tell the time and give you one button access to your power song.
I haven't bought one for a few reasons:
I don't have an iPod nano, so I can't use the Nike stuff
I haven't seen one in person
The only solution for the first reason is to get an iPod nano, however, the good folks at the Watch Report have solved my second issue. Thanks to this video, which accompanies their review of the Amp+ Remote Control. Clearly, if your looking for a watch that tells time first and foremost, this isn't the watch for you. That being said the Watch Report concludes that the pros out number the cons.
Are there any Nike Amp+ Remote Control users out there? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on this product.
As I continue exploring 1.1.1, I keep running across unexpected changes in the way the iPhone handles certain things I've taken for granted. I was aware that under 1.0.2 that SpringBoard scanned a non-supported /Widgets folder in addition to /Applications. However, two more folders have joined the team in 1.1.1: /AppleInternal/Applications and /Accessories.
I am in pure speculation territory, but perhaps the Accessories folder will relate to those com.apple.mobile.radio and com.apple.mobile.nike references I found in LingoToAccessoryMap.plist.
Has it really been nearly a year since the Nike Amp+ wristband remote first appeared on the pages of Men's Health, teasing us with its polyurethane smugness? Sure, back in August the FCCians caught wind of it, but no joy for shoppers... until now. (Nike Store requires Flash, FYI)
The futuristic wrist remote (vaguely Logan's Run-looking to me, but I am not an industrial designer) shows the time in bright red LEDs which also double as indicators for the iPod controls immediately below. Snazzy!
If you're using your iPod Nike+ Sport kit for its intended purpose, exercise/running, the Amp+ can also provide immediate voice feedback on distance, calories burned, workout duration, and all that other stuff that runners find somehow motivational.
If you or someone you care about picks up an Amp+, let us know.
The Nike + iPod sports kit has been a success. Many runners love the idea of their iPod not only pumping out the sweet jams as they run, but also helping to track their progress as well as keep them motivated. Sadly, the number of shoes that officially support the Nike + iPod is rather limited (the kit includes a small sensor that is inserted into the running shoe). Lucky, Nike has recently announced that they plan to offer support for the Nike + iPod sport kit in all their running shoes by the end of the year.
If only they would license the technology to other companies, then this would really take off (I'm a New Balance 992 man myself).
When we last mentionedTrailRunner it was pitched primarily as a tool for making your iPod into a workout tool. The newly released version 1.3 expands its functionality considerably with support for importing routes from the recently released Garmin Training Center as well as workout information from the Nike + iPod kit. Now with TrailRunner you can plan and mark out your route in color on USGS (or other) topographical maps, download those maps to your iPod (as photos), record your actual run/bike ride/hike on your Garmin GPS (like the Forerunner, right), and re-upload that tracking information to TrailRunner for analysis and comparison with others. TrailRunner can also import and export KML files for use with Google Earth.
As before, TrailRunner is a free download, but donations are requested.
Forget the Nike + iPod kit, Life Fitness wants to make "iPod" synonymous with "workout."
Earlier today they announced a new line of equipment that features built-in iPod integration. Once an iPod is docked, users can control playback and watch video via the machine's built-in LCD. Also, headphones can be plugged directly into the equipment. You can expect to see these in stores towards the end of March.
So now you can't blame the weather for canceling your workout. Thanks a lot, Life Fitness.
PhatRat Technology is the latest company to bring a suit against Apple, claiming that the Nike+ Sport Kit uses their technology (in part). PhatRat makes wireless performance products for athletes, including the AirRat, which lets snowboarders, BMX riders, etc., record airtime via devices in their shoes. It's this data collection and transmission via footwear that has PhatRat up in arms.
We have no information on the case, of course, but it does seem like suing Apple is the fashionable thing to do lately. We'll see how this plays out.
Legions of iPod nano toting runners track their workouts using the Nike+ website. I am not one of them (though I am getting in shape, sadly running has never been attractive to me), however, I still think the website is neat. Nike has just added a cool new feature to the Nike+ website: 'Map it.' Map It allows you to map your run using Google Maps. You can choose to make these maps public, or to keep them private (I can imagine some people might not want the world to know where they are running). You can then associate past, or future, runs with this new map to keep track of how you are doing. Pretty neat, though it would be even better if you could map your routes automatically using GPS. But you know what they say, baby steps (ha!). Thanks, Bob.
Here's something I've been wishing the Nikeplus.com site to implement itself: integration with Google Maps. Not ones to wait around for giant companies to switch on niche features, a small software company by the name of Gordian Labs has created the Runometer, a not-quite-even-beta mashup that lets you view and compare your Nike+ running data, as well as plot out your runs on Google Maps. By providing software and/or instructions for Mac OS X, Windows and even Linux, Nike+ owners can upload their run data, sketches of their routes or even GPS data for the ultimate in geek running goodness. A handy how-to guide is provided to help you get on your feet, but you'd better get moving - Runometer users have already ran over 1000 miles and plotted 284 routes!
In a review of Nike+iPod today, Mike Vella of BusinessWeek gives the combination a good review saying the unit is easy-to-use and accurate, despite it's lack of a heart rate monitor. Me, I'm not in love with the idea of a glorified pedometer. If you can't use it on a bike and it assumes your strides are consistent and it doesn't work with my 5G Video iPod, it's not the right equipment for me. I'm still waiting for something more along the lines of an iPod+Garmin combo with real maps, real GPS, and all. With a nice virtual personal trainer and customizable workouts. That's not too much to ask for, is it? Especially with, say, an iPhone with built-in GPS so that there's nothing to stick into or onto your shoes. Besides, I prefer New Balance which I could use with the optional Marware shoe adapter.
Last year, we wrote about Life Fitness' plan to build exercise equipment with built-in iPod integration, allowing users do dock their iPod and control it from the machine itself.
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Hey, it's Monday! Let's sue Apple!
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