Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Nike+iPod

The Nike+iPod Sports Kit is a device which measures and records the distance and pace of a walk or run. The Nike+iPod consists of a small accelerometer attached to or embedded in a shoe, which communicates with either the Nike+ Sport band or a receiver plugged into an iPod Nano or an iPod Touch 2nd Generation. If using the iPod, iTunes software can be used to view the walk or run history.

The sensor and iPod kit was revealed on May 23, 2006 but for a short time was unavailable for purchase. The kit is able to store information such as the elapsed time of the workout, the distance traveled, pace, or calories burned by the individual wearing the shoes, and display it on the screen or broadcast it through the headphones of an iPod.

The sensor and Sport band kit was announced in April 2008. The kit allows users to store run information without the iPod Nano. The Sport band consists of two parts; a rubber holding strap which is worn around the wrist, and the receiver which resembles a USB key-disk. The receiver displays information comparable to that of the iPod kit on the built-in display. After a run, the receiver can be plugged straight into a USB port and the software will upload the run information automatically to the Nike+ website.

As of August 2008 Nike+ iPod Gym launched- now users can record their workouts on Gym equipment including Life Fitness Treadmills, Cross-Trainers and Upright and Recumbent bikes. Users don't need a Sports Kit for this, they simply plug their iPod Nano into the iPod connector on the cardio equipment in their gym. Nike+ lets a user track this data as cardio miles on the web site.

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