I like when several related news stories come out at the same time. It makes for tidy blogging.
Apple Story the First
A few months back, Apple and sportswear company Nike got together to release a series of products called Nike+iPod. It’s a pretty good idea. It’s aimed at people who run with their iPod Nano (there’s no love for the full size iPod) and includes a bluetooth receiver which plugs into your Nano and a small dongle which fits into your Nike+ shoe. The dongle then sends information regarding your running speed, distance and so on to your Nano which then uploads it to the included software when you get home. The idea behind this is that it can help you improve your running pace and so on.
In a feature in the popular men’s health magazine, Men’s Health, Nike revealed a new add-on to this system called the Amp+. The Amp+ is a rather sexy looking bracelet which adds exactly what you need when your exercising to the Nike+iPod system; a bluetooth remote. It also includes an LED screen which will allow users to check their running stats on the fly.
Further features are to be confirmed. The bracelet is prices at $80 compared to the $30 of the Nike+iPod kit.
Despite the cost, this is the sort of thing that might actually get me to the gym occasionally. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of Nike, a company known for using sweatshops, but it does seem like a good way to get that little extra bit of motivation when your running. Especially the run comparison aspect of the Nike+ software.
Apple Story the Second
Yesterday Apple released Security Update 2006-007 for Mac OS X. This is a critical update which fixes 22 potential security holes in OS X. It’s an 11MB download for PowerPC users or 23MB for Intel Mac users.
Apple Story the Third
One of the things that 2006 will be remembered for (by Mac fans at any rate) is the number of rumours about the development of an iPod phone. However, as The Unofficial Apple Blog and the Apple Gazette report, it’s not the first phone that Apple have developed. In the two links, they look at five Apple projects that were shelved either for the good of mankind or for the good of Apple’s profits during the lean years (ie pre-iMac/iPod).
Out of the devices they look at, my personal favourite is the PenLite, a sort of hybrid between the PowerBook and the Newton, but then I am waiting for the day that Apple eventually release the iNewton.
