Ipod+Nike=Crazy Confusing

June 14, 2006 3:38 AM

Anyone know how the foot pod works and how reliable it's going to be? I have not come across any technical details about that at all, only the ipod interface.
posted by joshgray to sports, hobbies, & recreation (3 comments total)

from what i can tell it's going to be a standard ipod nano but with an interface slotted into the bottom (of the ipod, tsk!) that communicates wirelessly with a foot pedometer built into the shoe. nothing too special.
posted by tnai at 6:15 AM on June 14, 2006

The iPod add-on won't be available for several more weeks, so no one here's going to be able to answer questions about how well it works.

I don't think there's much to say about the technical details. It uses a short range proprietary radio link and it isn't Bluetooth. That's about it. What do you want to know exactly?
posted by cillit bang at 6:26 AM on June 14, 2006

The reliability is impossible to estimate before it's actually released, but it sounds like it'll be pretty durable. The pedometer looks like a very flat, very compact sliver of electronics that will be housed in its own slot in the shoe. I'm assuming it has an integrated battery which is almost certainly not user replaceable and the actual motion-sensing circuitry will probably outlast the shoes, unless you crush it or something.

I'm most worried about the piece that slots into the Nano and the fact that all their Nike+ clothing is designed to carry the Nano in its own pocket where it'll be drenched in sweat and where the iPod plugin will experience torque with respect to the iPod.
posted by bshort at 6:31 AM on June 14, 2006