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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Nike has a new commercial out advertising the Nike+ iPod sports kit. It features a young man getting off a couch, iPod in hand, to go running. He runs on a treadmill whilst he scenery changes in the background. But why are you reading about the commercial, just go watch it!
I have been trying to get in shape, but I haven't yet gotten myself a Nike + iPod sports kit. When I do, though, I will be sure to download these two Widgets that Nike has just made available (they are currently in Beta, but what isn't?). One widget tracks your challenges (you can challenge another user, or group of users, of the NikePlus website to challenges) and the other tracks your goals (the person above has a goal of running 300 miles in 30 days).
At the moment they are only available to registered users of the NikePlus website.
Matt is a big fan of the Nike + iPod kit, as it would seem more people who use it are. He does have on problem with it, though. There is not an easy way to share your running data with others. Sure, the Nike Plus website graphs your progress, and you can compete with other runners, but you can't link to your progress from an outside source, or even display that info on your blog.
Knowing that Apple has a fondness for storing data in XML, Matt went poking around his iPod and found that all the workout infomation is stored in iPod/iPod_Control/Device/Trainer/Workouts/Empeds/{Sensor ID}, where the Sensor ID is unique. Keep in mind that this folder is hidden, so if you just mount your iPod as a harddisc you won't see it, but yu can get to it using the Terminal. Matt even went so far as to whip up a widget that gets the info from the XML file and posts it to a temporary file on his webserver.
iLounge has unboxed the Nike + iPod Sport Kit and decided to go full-on with pictures of everything, including some iPod-infused Nike apparel and screenshots of how exactly the software in the iPod nano works. While we've already seen some pics of the software, iLounge posted more images that reveal the workout options are surprisingly in-depth and customizable. There are various workout types that target distance running and burning calories, for example. iLounge even posted images of the Nike+ site and the user experience, even saying that it's hard to give Nike enough credit for the beauty and simplicity baked into the site.
Head over to iLounge's First Look at this impressive new accessory.
"...includes iPod Software 1.1.2 for iPod, iPod Software 1.2 for iPod nano, and iPod Software 1.1.4 for iPod shuffle. iPod Updater 2006-06-28 contains the same software versions as iPod Updater 2006-03-23 for all other iPod models."
Specifically, the update offers Nike + iPod support for iPod nano, a volume limit setting for the iPod shuffle and various bug fixes. The fact that Apple specifically states that the Nike + support is for the nano makes me wonder if that functionality won't make its way to other iPods.
The Apple Blog points out that, with all the hubbub surrounding the Apple/Nike deal, we ought to remember that the Air Zoom Moire isn't technically the first time Apple has become involved in footwear. Many moons ago, some Apple employees could be seen sporting these babies. Oh, yeah. For some reason, those sneakers make me want to drive that DeLorean and rent Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
With all the hubbub surrounding the announcement of the Apple/Nike partnership, no one mentioned the day's most striking revelation. No one except Arik Hesseldahl, that is. In an article at Business Week Online, Arik points out that Steve was wearing a pair of Nike Moires instead of his usual New Balance 991s at the press conference. Of course, Steve couldn't wear New Balance while talking about Nike (the Moires he was wearing are part of the Nike+ line and still unavailable to the general public).
This wasn't the first time we've seen Steve stray from his typical outfit. He wore brown pants when he announced FrontRow, iTunes 6, etc. back in October.
That's right, I just put up a 129 word post about Steve's clothing. Flame away.
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.
Apple and Nike have sold millions of those 
Apple and Nike are about to extend their partnership all the way to the gym. 
When we 
Here's something I've been wishing the 
Hot on the heels of 
With all the hubbub surrounding the announcement of the Apple/Nike partnership, no one mentioned the day's most striking revelation. No one except Arik Hesseldahl, that is. In an 
