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ALL THINGS The Free iPod + iPhone Book 4
Nike+ Series: The Nike+iPod Sport Kit
Developed with aid from Apple,
the Nike+iPod Sport Kit ($29) acts
like a personal trainer, combining
a shoe-mounted sensor and a
nano-mounted wireless receiver
to record and provide feedback
on your running performance. The
sensor slips into a nook found in
Nike+ shoes, and the nano into an
armband or Nike+ clothes; you can
improvise alternatives if you prefer. A
male or female voice fades
in and out of your music
to tell you how far you’ve
progressed through one of
four types of runs - basic
(unrestricted), limited time,
limited distance, or limited
calories. You can also use
the nano’s screen to track
your performance. Once
you’ve finished a run, iTunes
can automatically send
your results to a Nike+ web
site for personal tracking or
comparison against other
runners. It’s a beautifully
executed system, limited
only by modestly imprecise
accuracy and nano bugs.
Choose Your Shoes
Starting with a handful of pairs
which increased to 50 and now over
220, Nike+ shoes have a small nook
hidden under the foot pad, which
lets you keep the sensor safe while in
use. Pairs range from $40-160. Non-
Nike+ shoes will work with the Kit
if you add on a shoelace mount like
Marware’s $10 Sportsuit Sensor+ or
Switcheasy’s $9 RunAway Crystal.
Amp+
As one of the coolest
iPod add-ons we’ve
yet seen, the Nike
Amp+ ($79) is a
digital watch and
iPod nano remote
control that works
whenever you’ve
attached the Nike+
iPod Sport Kit
receiver. Use it for
runs or just when
you’re out and about;
the only issue is its
weak resizing design.
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