Apple and Nike Team up for iPod Shoe Interface 300
lyonsden writes "Apple and Nike are teaming up to provide runners a system to integrate their shoes and their iPod. A $30 antenna will connect an iPod nano with special shoes to provide pedometer functions."
Nike+Apple=??? (Score:4, Funny)
Below is an email correspondence with customer service representatives at iPOD iD, an on-line service that lets people buy personalized iPOD shoes. The dialog began when iPOD cancelled an order for a pair of shoes customized with the word "sweatshop." [get the latest on this story at shey.net]
From: "Personalize, iPOD iD"
To: "'W. McFarnby (not really) [shey.net]'"
Subject: RE: Your iPOD iD order o16468000
Your iPOD iD order was cancelled for one or more of the following reasons.
1) Your Personal iD contains another party's trademark or other intellectual property.
2) Your Personal iD contains the name of an athlete or team we do not have the legal right to use.
3) Your Personal iD was left blank. Did you not want any personalization?
4) Your Personal iD contains profanity or inappropriate slang, and besides, your mother would slap us.
If you wish to reorder your iPOD iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.iPOD.com
Thank you,
iPOD iD
From: "W. McFarnby (not really) [shey.net]"
To: "Personalize, iPOD iD"
Subject: RE: Your iPOD iD order o16468000
Greetings,
My order was canceled but my personal iPOD iD does not violate any of the criteria outlined in your message. The Personal iD on my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes was the word "sweatshop." Sweatshop is not: 1) another's party's trademark, 2) the name of an athlete, 3) blank, or 4) profanity. I choose the iD because I wanted to remember the toil and labor of the children that made my shoes. Could you please ship them to me immediately.
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Wynn McF (not really) [shey.net]
From: "Personalize, iPOD iD"
To: "'W. McFarnby (not really) [shey.net]'"
Subject: RE: Your iPOD iD order o16468000
Dear iPOD iD Customer,
Your iPOD iD order was cancelled because the iD you have chosen contains, as stated in the previous e-mail correspondence, "inappropriate slang".
If you wish to reorder your iPOD iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.iPOD.com
Thank you,
iPOD iD
From: "W. McFarnby (not really) [shey.net]"
To: "Personalize, iPOD iD"
Subject: RE: Your iPOD iD order o16468000
Dear iPOD iD,
Thank you for your quick response to my inquiry about my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes. Although I commend you for your prompt customer service, I disagree with the claim that my personal iD was inappropriate slang. After consulting Webster's Dictionary, I discovered that "sweatshop" is in fact part of standard English, and not slang. The word means: "a shop or factory in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions" and its origin dates from 1892. So my personal iD does meet the criteria detailed in your first email.
Your web site advertises that the iPOD iD program is "about freedom to choose and freedom to express who you are." I share iPOD's love of freedom and personal expression. The site also says that "If you want it done right...build it yourself." I was thrilled to be able to build my own shoes, and my personal iD was offered as a small token of appreciation for the sweatshop workers poised to help me realize my vision. I hope that you will value my freedom of expression and reconsider your decision to reject my order.
Thank you,
Wynn McF (not really) [shey.net]
From: "Personalize, iPOD iD"
To: "'W. McFarnby (not really) [shey.net]'"
Subject: RE: Your iPOD iD order o16468000
Dear iPOD iD Customer,
Regarding the rules for personalization it also states on the iPOD iD web site that "iPOD reserves the right to c
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Interesting)
This was from an article linked by
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops
You are regurgitating Nike propoganda, which has been demonstrated to be false. Nike is not responding to bad publicity by addressing the problem, they are responding on
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Interesting)
The American-centric attitude that people have really just makes me sick. Try going to a different country before making all these claims about how we're treating other people so badly - they have the option to take that job or not, and the people that have th
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple+Censorship=b1ff (Score:3, Funny)
It's embarassing, though. There is that.
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Funny)
aren't you barefoot during labor?
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:2)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:2)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Nike+Apple=??? (Score:3, Insightful)
If these companies paid a fair wage and provided good working conditions, you would see very few people complaining.
Re:Sweatshops are good. Really. (Score:3, Insightful)
Aren't you skipping the part about if you complain, you're out, and if you try to organize complaints, you're possibly even dead.
Why? (Score:3, Funny)
I know I've seen some for less than 30 bucks. Yeah, sure. There's the wow factor
(hey, lookee at my over-priced Nikes. Did you know I spent 30 bucks more and they can talk to my iPod? -- wow, I've gone to the couch and back six times in the last hour, logging 50 steps!)
But not much else. I love technology as much as the next person on
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:2, Informative)
1) It's not just a pedometer
2) As others have mentioned, it actually reads the status to you so you don't have to look at your iPod as you run.
3) Perhaps my favorite: Power Song activat
Re:Why? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Might be that in a lot of places it is illegal to wear headphones while riding a bike (not that it stops people).
Re:Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
You can buy a string trimmer (weed whacker) that has a connection at the bottom that allows other sold seperately components to be attached, like a small saw, a lawn edger, a very small almost useless roto-tiller etc.. The problem is the attachments cost very close too and in some cases MORE a dedicated lawn edger, a small useless roto tiller and a small tree saw. I guess the advantage is on
iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:5, Funny)
"This shoephone holds over 5 billion songs!
Would you believe 10,000 songs and 5,000 ringtones?"
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:2, Informative)
Sorry, but you are years too late. From the following reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Smart [wikipedia.org]
"Perhaps the most recognisable 'gag' from the show was Maxwell Smart's shoe phone, which has become somewhat of a comic icon: Smart would communicate with CONTROL using a rotary-dialled telephone concealed in his shoe, similar to a modern cell phone. While such a device was decades ahead of its time in real life, the nee
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:3, Funny)
talk about missing the joke.
Would you believe fifty security guards and a bloodhound?
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:2, Funny)
I think you mean *swoosh*
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:5, Funny)
-g.
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:3, Funny)
I'm sorry, but shouldn't that be "swoosh"?
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:2)
Hmm, I wonder how long before someone actually creates a DDR IDv3 extension for MP3?
Re:iPhone + Nike = Shoe Phone? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm scared... (Score:2, Funny)
So can we at least attach some speakers too so they sound interesting as they jog by?
On a serious note... why do I have a weird feeling sales on "We are the Champions" are going to go up...
Please remove your shoes.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Please remove your shoes.... (Score:2)
First, I doubt you'll make it through the metal/bomb detector with them. So you'll have to stick them on the conveyor belt. Imagine the reaction from the TSA person when they see the X-Ray of your shoes. I'd allow at least another 45 minutes to get to your gate.
Also, what happens when your transmitter interferes with the airplane's navigation radios?
Re:Please remove your shoes.... (Score:2)
Re:Please remove your shoes... but on planes..... (Score:2)
I thought they were proactive these days, so they just flip a coin to decide whether you're the next one to make their day.
I'm waiting for the iPod - Toilet seat interface (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm waiting for the iPod - Toilet seat interfac (Score:2)
Buy an iToilet! [electric-chicken.co.uk]
Re:I'm waiting for the iPod - Toilet seat interfac (Score:2)
I wonder how people would feel about being told they're pregnant by their toilet?
Re:I'm waiting for the iPod - Toilet seat interfac (Score:2)
Just imagine the false-positives...
Re:I'm waiting for the iPod - Toilet seat interfac (Score:2)
Big feet? (Score:5, Funny)
Big hard drives!
Thank you, I'll be here all week.
Re:Big feet? (Score:2)
Yeah, but they're talking about the nano, in which case it would be "no hard drive." : o
Brilliant (Score:4, Funny)
Didn't the old iPods have this feature? (Score:5, Funny)
Special Shoes (Score:2)
Price too low (Score:5, Interesting)
And if they do, how do they make sure we are buying nike shoes? That step counter can be taped to any shoe, can't it?
Re:Price too low (Score:3, Informative)
The sensor's battery is not replaceable. Battery life will vary
considerably based on use and other factors.
So the $64M question is, how long does the sensor's battery last?
This could explain the low price.. $29 may be cheap, but if you're
buying a new sensor every year, suddenly it's getting expensive.
Re:Price too low, where is the catch? (Score:3, Insightful)
The sensor is meant to integrate in Nike shoes.
The sensor doesn't have changeable batteries.
I am sure you can figure out some way to attach to non nikes, unless I read this wrong and ceartian shoes come with embeded sensor.
Batter is a concern until they tell us how long it lasts. If three years then what the heck...
Re:Price too low (Score:2)
Based on this [macsimumnews.com] I assume what we have here is an off-the-shelf wireless mouse circuit. When you're running it's doing "click click click click click", and the iPod end might even be the USB connector for the mouse. So, $29 is in the ballpark for a COTS wireless mouse, plus you don't have to build any of the rest of the mouse other than the left-click button. Somebody gets the "elegant, simple" awar
Re:Price too low (Score:2)
In one of the pages [apple.com] they talk about voice feedback. I guess that's what the parent meant. (By the way, the "Voice feedback" tag is a link to a pseudo-demo of the feature.)
Nike + Apple (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, I'd definitely buy one of those! Maybe two.
Re:Nike + Apple (Score:2)
Re:Nike + Apple (Score:2)
Yeah, I read on Slashdot that they make great human interfaces...
no way! (Score:3, Interesting)
Integration (Score:4, Insightful)
This seems like exactly the thing Jobs and Apple would pursue, a seamless system of wireless integration would perfectly embody their philosophies of style, power, simplicity, and having things 'just work'. It may be just a new shoe accessory right now, but I for one could see this type of technology evolving into new areas
Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:4, Insightful)
OT - That banner ad for Crystal Reports just brought my computer to a crawl.
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
If this is an inertial pod-- or merely a transmitter for one embedded into the shoe -- then it's a fantastic deal (depending on the cost of the shoe). The quoted price is only $29. If it's just a pedometer, then it's pretty useless.
I always that that it would be great to integrate HRM and iPod. Spoken stats (easier than trying to read
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Love it.
Absolutely useless when I train in the winter on my treadmill...
I *will* be looking into this bit of kit, thank you very much.
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Ever want to compare interval workouts?
Doing this with data collected from my Forerunner is pretty easy.
Doing it with data from a treadmill... not so easy.
I'm not interested in one after-the-fact average value. I want data... lots and lots of data!
If this thing can give me time based velocity data, I'm all over it.
Since it is using an accelerometer... if it could give me time marks for each "step"... that would be ideal. I'll manipulate that kind of data myself to come up with everything
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Re:Inaccurate, not useful to serious athletes (Score:2)
Right now I do most runs in 2:40s and have two pair of discontinued Air Zoom spiridons (one for tris, one for road races).
Sync Capabilities (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Sync Capabilities (Score:2)
We need a waterproof Triathalon iPod iShoe (Score:2, Interesting)
And, has anyone thought of having it make your shoes shuffle when you set the iPod on "shuffle"?
Nike: Just Do It But First Pay Money
Seriously, though, as a former marathon runner (2 hr 29 minutes back when the world record was 2 hr 14 minutes), I question the practical utility of an integrated shoe to iPod link - sure, it's nice to know your approximate pedometer rating, but in reality that is not a real number, only an estimation based on your running s
Re:We need a waterproof Triathalon iPod iShoe (Score:2)
Ooo -- and when you start walking (which is likely to happen for non-serious runners like me), it could yell (in the infamous Quake voice) "HUMILATION!"
=)
Re:We need a waterproof Triathalon iPod iShoe (Score:2)
Nike Sucks... (Score:2)
Re:Nike Sucks... (Score:2)
stupid.. or is it? (Score:2)
When they build the pedometer into the shoe... (Score:5, Funny)
(sorry)
Re:When they build the pedometer into the shoe... (Score:2)
This sunshine patriot wishes he had some modpoints.
The Commercial That Explains Everything: (Score:2)
The Nike+ [nike.com]
From the Article (Score:2, Funny)
Think Different my ass (Score:3, Informative)
These ranged from a lack of basic terms of employment and excessive hours of work to unauthorised sub-contracting, confirmed physical or sexual abuse and the existence of conditions which could lead to death or serious injury."
Cool. That means as of 13 April, 2005 only in 40% of the factories used by Nike workers face a lack of basic terms of employment and excessive hours of work, unauthorised sub-contracting, confirmed physical or sexual abuse and the existence of conditions which could lead to death or serious injury. I'm off to by a pair of Nikes.
Seriously, this is the first major goof since Steve Jobs came back to Apple.
Re:Think Different my ass (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, while I agree that the sweatshops of the kind used by almost every overseas manufacturer is despicable, your twisting of the argument by fudging the numbers doesn't help your case. Remember, "C" is considered an average rating. If 60% of their factories are above average, thats pretty good. And only 25% fall into the "serious problems" category. That means that 15% are in the average range. If anything, Nike should be commended for making such a turn-around fro
Why not a charger (Score:2)
I looked into it a few years back, and it seemed to me that there was enough energy there to do something with.
Wireless data (Score:2)
Will Apple sell iPods to meter readers for gathering gas and water use info?
What other opportunites exist for mobile data collection?
Why not Adidas? (Score:2)
Get Smart (Score:2)
I'll be happy to schlepp even more gear around (Score:2)
I'm currently running 55km each week. I usually carry:
I love the Garmin (worn like a wrist watch, but makes a Casio GShock look tiny), but hate the fact that GPS and large buildings do not really match. Living in Berlin there is no way to avoid them without getting out of town first. I always run the same route and the
Running in groups (Score:2)
Apple + Nike = New slogan (Score:2, Funny)
Got to get in on the scam (Score:2)
Shoes, cell phones, PDAs are taken, how about underwear? Lingerie? Things that are commonly inserted into body cavities? Keychains? Sunglasses? Scarves? Things people put in their hair to hold it in place or as decoration? Sweatbands? Bracelets or anklets?
Hell, put them in fruits and vegetables, bags of junk food, suppositories of various kinds, nicotine patches, beverage containers...
St
New name (Score:2)
France: Ipied
Italia: Ipiede
I should be in marketing.
Re:desperation (Score:2)
Nah, I think it's a pretty shrewd move. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: Meh (Score:2)
http://www.brenz.net/l337Maker.asp [brenz.net]
Pretty cool, eh? Now I can 74L| with the best of them.
50, \/\/|-|0'$ (00L |\|0\/\/
Re:glavin! (Score:2)
A $30 antenna will connect an iPod nano with special shoes to provide pedometer functions."
Re:Pedometer + Audiophile = ??? (Score:2)
But there, American spelling simplification lets you down. As I am sure you are aware, elsewhere it is spelt paedophile, from the Greek paido; the pedo in pedometer comes from the Latin for foot.
But still, I managed a chortle.
iqu
Not true (Score:2)
It would be nice if the out a device that generate elctricity to help maintain you iPods charge longer.