Nike offers Nike+iPod update, new products and features coming

[AppleInsider]

Nike on Wednesday said runners have combined to log over 1 million miles in the 10 weeks since it teamed with Apple Computer to launch the Nike+iPod Sport Kit for the iPod nano.

The distance is the equivalent to circling the world more than 40 times, the shoe maker said.

Nike releases some user stats

Yesterday, nearly 8,000 people logged runs on nikeplus.com -- including an almost eight-mile run in New York, two and a half miles in Boston, five miles in Boulder, two miles in Miami, six miles in Nashville, four miles in Phoenix, three miles in Seattle and two miles in Peoria.

Nike said some of the top times so far include: 27 minutes and 43 seconds for a 10k run, and 13 minutes, 47 seconds for a 5k run. Meanwhile farthest total distance achieved by a single runners is reported in excess of 600 miles.

"Nikeplus.com is fast becoming the world's biggest online running community," said Trevor Edwards, Nike's chief marketing officer. "Nike+ is a new running experience, a new way to train, a new way to connect with other runners, and a new way to bring music and sport together like never before. A million miles in 10 weeks is just the beginning. We're looking forward to the billionth mile."

Announced in May with availability that began in July, the Nike+iPod Sport Kit is a wireless system that allows Nike+ enabled footwear to talk with your iPod nano, connecting runners to a personal running and workout experience. Data on time, distance, calories burned and pace is stored on the nano and is easily downloaded through iTunes to nikeplus.com, a personal service site where runners can track their own progress and challenge other runners.



New Nike+ products and features in the pipeline

Also on Wednesday, Nike said it is working to expand its Nike+ product offerings, add functionality on nikeplus.com and create original sport music content in the Nike Sport Music section of the iTunes Store. One of the new features that will be added to nikeplus.com will be a route finder that will let runners easily map and share their favorite running routes, the company said.

In October, Nike will roll out Nike+ products in additional European markets, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands, as well as Japan and Australia.

The shoe maker currently offers 12 styles of Nike+ enabled footwear and says more models due out soon.

Apple has sold over 450,000 of the $30 Nike+iPod Sport Kits since the kits were made available in mid-July, the company said last week.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[crees!]

Run Forest, run!

[filburt]

I would like to see some hardware upgrade as well, most specifically, user-replaceable battery. Nike+iPod kit does not cost a whole lot, but throwing it out whenever the battery dies seems environmentally irresponsible. It would be nice if the receiver functionality is a built-in to iPod nano as well (requires the purchase of just the transmitter). Oh, and it should have auto pause and heart rate.

[nagromme]

That transmitter is HUGE. Almost as big as an entire iPod Shuffle!

[5150]

frankly (sadly) I've not been impressed at all with the product and i've used it a lot. I've logged over 250 miles on it, which puts me in the top 20 in for males in my age group in the US. And let me also say that i'm not actually a big runner. there is no way I should be ranked up that high if the product is really penetrating the marketplace. I've used it with three different sets of shoes. Bottom line is that it is not reliable at all. generally I find it to be 20% off my my actual mileage and I have found it to vary dramatically when one's pace varies from that run during calibration. Running hills also seems to result in big differences. As a last point, doesn't it seem odd that only with 1 million miles have beenn run against 450,000 units. By my math that's just over 2 miles per unit. Hardly indicates that the purchasers are having good experiences unless they simply are not uploading their data. Sorry to be such a downer. I'm actually a huge Apple and Nike fan and have about 20% of my investment portfolio invested in AAPL right now. So i'd love to see them make this work! I'd LOVE to see a "Pro" version that integrates seriously upgraded software capabilities and most importantly, GPS. Right now, Garmin's got the only good running solution out there.

[Longsilver]

I'd like to see something affordable for cyclists. Also, a heart rate monitor would be useful for any sport and surely wouldn't be that tricky to do.

[zoboomafoo]

Originally Posted by 5150

frankly (sadly) I've not been impressed at all with the product and i've used it a lot. I've logged over 250 miles on it, which puts me in the top 20 in for males in my age group in the US. And let me also say that i'm not actually a big runner. there is no way I should be ranked up that high if the product is really penetrating the marketplace. I've used it with three different sets of shoes. Bottom line is that it is not reliable at all. generally I find it to be 20% off my my actual mileage and I have found it to vary dramatically when one's pace varies from that run during calibration. Running hills also seems to result in big differences. As a last point, doesn't it seem odd that only with 1 million miles have beenn run against 450,000 units. By my math that's just over 2 miles per unit. Hardly indicates that the purchasers are having good experiences unless they simply are not uploading their data. Sorry to be such a downer. I'm actually a huge Apple and Nike fan and have about 20% of my investment portfolio invested in AAPL right now. So i'd love to see them make this work! I'd LOVE to see a "Pro" version that integrates seriously upgraded software capabilities and most importantly, GPS. Right now, Garmin's got the only good running solution out there.

the garmin thing isn't all that, either. i mean, it's PC only (as far as i know) and the whole GPS solution is a pain. How many times have i gone outside to run only to sit there wondering when i'll find a satellite. and i'm in a suburban university setting, not a major city. i can only imagine how well they work in NYC.

But yeah, fundamentally this is an exercise accessory. This wouldn't be the first exercise device whose most common actual use is "collect dust," nor will it be the last.

From what i've heard, it's not perfect, so improvements are always good. but has the best solution been found? i'm not so sure garmin has found it either.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by 5150

frankly (sadly) I've not been impressed at all with the product and i've used it a lot. I've logged over 250 miles on it, which puts me in the top 20 in for males in my age group in the US. And let me also say that i'm not actually a big runner. there is no way I should be ranked up that high if the product is really penetrating the marketplace. I've used it with three different sets of shoes. Bottom line is that it is not reliable at all. generally I find it to be 20% off my my actual mileage and I have found it to vary dramatically when one's pace varies from that run during calibration. Running hills also seems to result in big differences. As a last point, doesn't it seem odd that only with 1 million miles have beenn run against 450,000 units. By my math that's just over 2 miles per unit. Hardly indicates that the purchasers are having good experiences unless they simply are not uploading their data. Sorry to be such a downer. I'm actually a huge Apple and Nike fan and have about 20% of my investment portfolio invested in AAPL right now. So i'd love to see them make this work! I'd LOVE to see a "Pro" version that integrates seriously upgraded software capabilities and most importantly, GPS. Right now, Garmin's got the only good running solution out there.

Reading comprehension! 8,000 joggers have registered their running. Not 450,000. It's very possible that long distance runners haven't bought this, or haven't registered.

The verdict seems to disagree with your accessment in general, with most people commenting, finding it to be pretty accurate, though not perfect.

For the price, it wouldn't be. I have had a number of pedometers over the years, and most have been well off.

CU did a report on some recently, and also found most to be off.

[oneof52]

I love mine. I usually run on a treadmill, and this thing has me going outside and enjoying the run. I'm not at a level that these other posters are at (GPS for running?), but it motivates me to get out there and I look forward to it.

[zedrac]

Originally Posted by Longsilver

I'd like to see something affordable for cyclists. Also, a heart rate monitor would be useful for any sport and surely wouldn't be that tricky to do.

Me too. I'd love for my iPod to replace my CatEye computer on my cycle. And to be able to upload and track my rides would be great. Not to mention it would be extremely accurate, compared to the pedometer.

[ricksbrain]

I'm the two miles in Miami! Seriously! Too weird, but I love it!

[juliusheyning]

20% off is better than nothing, but still to much for a serious gadget.

But I seem to be even more off, being in Amsterdam and having to wait another 1 or two months....

I hate it that this stuff is not available everywhere immediately!!


BTW, why doesn't it work with the shuffle, so tiny runs even better?

[Denton]

If there were an Apple+Nike+Google I might be more tempted to buy. I would love to see GPS tracking hooked in with Google Maps! For now, I'll just stick with http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ (it's probably a lot more accurate than +/-20% as 5150 suggests for the Apple+Nike) and my Timex.

[Superbass]

Am I the only one who thinks it feels kind of weird to see Apple forging such close alliances with companies like Disney and Nike. I would've like to see some more creative, possibly just a shade less "Nasty Corporate Monster" companies than Nike and Disney be their big partners. I know Apple's also a huge, hundreds of millions of dollars company, but the Nike/Disney thing is pretty over the top. I know it's immediately great for stockholders and sales and profile to the masses, but isn't the anti-giant-company (ie anti-microsoft) sentiment a big part of what got Apple out of the toilet 6 or 7 years ago anyways? Nike and Disney are about as big and nasty as it gets.

Also, since the battery isn't replaceable on the shuffle (and will probably only last a year or two at most), why does the whole unit have to be made of plastic that will last for about 3000 years? They could have used a recyclable plastic, or even an aluminum alloy, i think, although i'm not engineer...

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by melgross

Reading comprehension! 8,000 joggers have registered their running. Not 450,000. It's very possible that long distance runners haven't bought this, or haven't registered.

The verdict seems to disagree with your accessment in general, with most people commenting, finding it to be pretty accurate, though not perfect.

For the price, it wouldn't be. I have had a number of pedometers over the years, and most have been well off.

CU did a report on some recently, and also found most to be off.

Uhhhh?
Yesterday, nearly 8,000 people logged runs on nikeplus.com

8,000 runs were logged in the last 24 hours.
Extrapolate that out to 10 weeks -> approximately 560,000 runs.
1 million miles / 560 thousand runs = 1.79 miles/run

5150 does make a valid point.
450,000 kits have been sold but only about 560,000 runs have been recorded by nikeplus.com
Are people buying them and not using them at all?
Are people buying it, trying it once and not liking it?
Are people buying it, using it but not syncing back to nikeplus.com?

If the average nikeplus.com user is doing 1 run per week, that means only 56,000 are actually using it on a regular basis.
That is only 12% of those buying the kit.

The most important statistic is:
450,000 kits have been sold at @ $30 a pop = 13.5 million revenue

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by Superbass

Am I the only one who thinks it feels kind of weird to see Apple forging such close alliances with companies like Disney and Nike. I would've like to see some more creative, possibly just a shade less "Nasty Corporate Monster" companies than Nike and Disney be their big partners. I know Apple's also a huge, hundreds of millions of dollars company, but the Nike/Disney thing is pretty over the top. I know it's immediately great for stockholders and sales and profile to the masses, but isn't the anti-giant-company (ie anti-microsoft) sentiment a big part of what got Apple out of the toilet 6 or 7 years ago anyways? Nike and Disney are about as big and nasty as it gets.

Also, since the battery isn't replaceable on the shuffle (and will probably only last a year or two at most), why does the whole unit have to be made of plastic that will last for about 3000 years? They could have used a recyclable plastic, or even an aluminum alloy, i think, although i'm not engineer...

Don't worry about the environment.
In light of all the flack they have caught from Greenpeace, Apple is partnering with Exxon-Mobil to develop a hybrid-powered computer.
It uses an internal combustion engine during regular operation and battery power when asleep.

[Superbass]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mozzarella

Uhhhh?
Yesterday, nearly 8,000 people logged runs on nikeplus.com

8,000 runs were logged in the last 24 hours.
Extrapolate that out to 10 weeks -> approximately 560,000 runs.
1 million miles / 560 thousand runs = 1.79 miles/run

5150 does make a valid point.
450,000 kits have been sold but only about 560,000 runs have been recorded by nikeplus.com
Are people buying them and not using them at all?
Are people buying it, trying it once and not liking it?
Are people buying it, using it but not syncing back to nikeplus.com?

If the average nikeplus.com user is doing 1 run per week, that means only 56,000 are actually using it on a regular basis.
That is only 12% of those buying the kit.

The most important statistic is:
450,000 kits have been sold at @ $30 a pop = 13.5 million revenue

Lots of people own NIKE shoes, too, but they sure as hell don't run in them. They strut. Just because you're wearing red plastic shoes doesn't mean you know what they're for, I guess. Ditto for adidas running clothing. How about Umbro soccer shorts in the USA in the 90s?


One other thing - the 13.5 million isn't all revenue for apple. Nike don't give out swooshes for free. Hey - when do we see the Apple logo with a swoosh on it, and Mickey mouse ears, too?

[halhiker]

Originally Posted by crees!

Run Forest, run!

LOL!

[halhiker]

Originally Posted by Superbass

Am I the only one who thinks it feels kind of weird to see Apple forging such close alliances with companies like Disney and Nike. I would've like to see some more creative, possibly just a shade less "Nasty Corporate Monster" companies than Nike and Disney be their big partners. I know Apple's also a huge, hundreds of millions of dollars company, but the Nike/Disney thing is pretty over the top. I know it's immediately great for stockholders and sales and profile to the masses, but isn't the anti-giant-company (ie anti-microsoft) sentiment a big part of what got Apple out of the toilet 6 or 7 years ago anyways? Nike and Disney are about as big and nasty as it gets.

Also, since the battery isn't replaceable on the shuffle (and will probably only last a year or two at most), why does the whole unit have to be made of plastic that will last for about 3000 years? They could have used a recyclable plastic, or even an aluminum alloy, i think, although i'm not engineer...

I don't think it's weird at all that Apple is partnering with Nike and Disney; it's very smart. Both are extremely successful brands who have been at the forefront of innovation and marketing.

I'm not a huge fan of Nike and some of it's manufacturing practices over the years (I personally wear New Balance 992's because they are one of the few running shoes made in the US and they wear like iron) but they always have some new, interesting product. When I go to races I see more Nikes than any other shoe.

Disney is pretty much the same story. Very successful at what they do and very good at letting people know about it. I grew up about 10 miles from D-land and don't care if I ever go there again but I have to admit my last visit was much more pleasant than I expected. I guess because my kids are little I was able to enjoy it through them. And in the entertainment biz in general, no one else really compares, at least in the public's perception.

By allying itself with these huge, very mainstream corporations Apple might be running the risk of not being perceived as a niche, boutique-type company--now they quit being that years ago but they are still perceived as such by some people-- but I think they don't care about that. Their goal is to get their product into the hands of as many customers as possible. And when they are successful, ultimately, it is the customer who wins. As we all know.

As for batteries on the shuffle and other iPods, I'm personally glad that the battery is not replaceable. I would actually consider buying an iPod HiFi if it had an internal, rechargeable battery. It is far more environmentally sound than tossing alkalines and cheaper in the long run. Having a rechargeable battery has actually pushed me toward getting ONLY rechargeables for everything I have that uses batteries. Right now, I have three chargers and I told my wife just today that once I have enough rechargeables I never want to buy a "regular" battery again.

Now I wish that Apple had the environmental conscience of a company like, say, Patagonia, but it's a totally different type of product. And I did hear that if you're iPod is toast and you bring it to an Apple store, they will recycle it and give you a discount on a new one. I hope it's true because my 4G is ready to be resurrected as a 5G.

Hal

[Xool]

I think many runs logged are longer and shorter than these estimates. Hell, I use mine while on the elliptical machine and walking to work so calling everything a true "run" is probably incorrect.

[schmidm77]

"13 minutes, 47 seconds for a 5k run"

I was running three miles in 17:30 when I was in the Marine Corps and that was significantly faster than most. I couldn't imagine running it in under 14. Of course, elite marathon runners average around a 5 min mile... and that just boggles my mind.

[meelash]

Has anyone tried using the transmitter/reciever with a regular iPod instead of the nano? I mean it's the same dock connector, why's Apple force people to only use it with the Nano?

I know the nano is better for running because it's skip free, but still, people used regular iPods for years for running before there WAS an iPod Nano, and I'm sure some still do..

[ricksbrain]

If Apple condoned its use with hard drive based players, they will appear negligent as the failure rate will undoubtedly go up.

[5150]

Originally Posted by melgross

Reading comprehension! 8,000 joggers have registered their running. Not 450,000. It's very possible that long distance runners haven't bought this, or haven't registered.

The verdict seems to disagree with your accessment in general, with most people commenting, finding it to be pretty accurate, though not perfect.

For the price, it wouldn't be. I have had a number of pedometers over the years, and most have been well off.

CU did a report on some recently, and also found most to be off.

Not to be argumentative, but as you first scolded me for my poor reading comprehension, let me point out that the "8,000 runners" referred to in the announcement were for the preceding day, not for the period from inception to date.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by 5150

Not to be argumentative, but as you first scolded me for my poor reading comprehension, let me point out that the "8,000 runners" referred to in the announcement were for the preceding day, not for the period from inception to date.

Yes, that's true. My bad.

But the rest of my statement holds true. It's not likely that many are registering their runs at all.

Also, chances are that many people buyinh this are buying it for the reasons why people buy any device like this: because it's unique, not because they plan on using it for any serious reason.

But, it really doesn't matter. Most of the sports shoes sold, are sold to people who just walk in them.

[ebolagp]

How about the fact that not all 450k people have had it for the full 100 days. Since we do not know the distribution of when the divices were bought, you really cannot make any determination of whether people are logging or not. What I can tell you is that about a month ago I was running almost every day and the # of runs logged per day was approximately 4-5k. Now it has ballooned to 8k per day. You guys can do the math...

Mel - it is possible that people are not logging their runs, but if you log once then iTunes automatically logs your new runs every time you sync your iPod. I figure most poeple would at least check out the NikePlus site and thus have all of their runs uploaded.

Originally Posted by melgross

Yes, that's true. My bad.

But the rest of my statement holds true. It's not likely that many are registering their runs at all.

Also, chances are that many people buyinh this are buying it for the reasons why people buy any device like this: because it's unique, not because they plan on using it for any serious reason.

But, it really doesn't matter. Most of the sports shoes sold, are sold to people who just walk in them.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by zoboomafoo

the garmin thing isn't all that, either. i mean, it's PC only (as far as i know) and the whole GPS solution is a pain. How many times have i gone outside to run only to sit there wondering when i'll find a satellite. and i'm in a suburban university setting, not a major city. i can only imagine how well they work in NYC.

But yeah, fundamentally this is an exercise accessory. This wouldn't be the first exercise device whose most common actual use is "collect dust," nor will it be the last.

From what i've heard, it's not perfect, so improvements are always good. but has the best solution been found? i'm not so sure garmin has found it either.

Here's a completely off the wall idea (and I have no inkling whether or not it would be feasible). What about using cell-towers for positioning instead of GPS, at least in urban environments? Would it be possible to "ping" cell towers to calculate your position? Perhaps the "ping" would triangulate you and provide a slightly more accurate estimate of speed and position than Nike+ or GPS alone. Just a wild thought, roaming through my mental forestry.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by ebolagp

How about the fact that not all 450k people have had it for the full 100 days. Since we do not know the distribution of when the divices were bought, you really cannot make any determination of whether people are logging or not. What I can tell you is that about a month ago I was running almost every day and the # of runs logged per day was approximately 4-5k. Now it has ballooned to 8k per day. You guys can do the math...

Mel - it is possible that people are not logging their runs, but if you log once then iTunes automatically logs your new runs every time you sync your iPod. I figure most poeple would at least check out the NikePlus site and thus have all of their runs uploaded.

I can't figure much out with what people choose to do with something like this.

Most people never even fill out warranty cards, even if that will give them an extended warranty.

I'll be willing to assume that many never visited the site at all.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

Here's a completely off the wall idea (and I have no inkling whether or not it would be feasible). What about using cell-towers for positioning instead of GPS, at least in urban environments? Would it be possible to "ping" cell towers to calculate your position? Perhaps the "ping" would triangulate you and provide a slightly more accurate estimate of speed and position than Nike+ or GPS alone. Just a wild thought, roaming through my mental forestry.

GPS is *far* more accurate. It is also automatic. With cell phone towers, location is slow, and not accurate at all.

[spyinthesky]

Originally Posted by melgross

GPS is *far* more accurate. It is also automatic. With cell phone towers, location is slow, and not accurate at all.

Speed may be an issue but I wonder how the police can track down the precise location of a mobile then or are they having us on?

[melgross]

Originally Posted by spyinthesky

Speed may be an issue but I wonder how the police can track down the precise location of a mobile then or are they having us on?

It just takes a bit of time.

But, people look at Tv shows and believe that perfection is possible, when it's not.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by melgross

It just takes a bit of time.

But, people look at Tv shows and believe that perfection is possible, when it's not.

Actually, with my very rudimentary knowledge of triangulation, I just thought it would be a slim possibility... and therefore ideal party conversation.