Hasta La Gadget!

Over in the Nike forums, the US launch-date for the Nike+ compatible heart rate monitor has slipped out. In a post from user Nike+ Pro 16, we get the following snippet:

Great news! I have a U.S. launch date for the Nike+ compatible heart rate monitor. It will officially launch on June 1, 2010, although it may reach some retail outlets slightly sooner. It will reach Canadian markets in June and will launch internationally in summer 2010, exact date to be determined.

I know you’re going to ask, so I’ll answer preemptively: no, I am not able to discuss price, color, device

The heart-rate monitor will be an add-on for the existing Nike+ pedometer, which talks to your iPad Nano or iPod Touch to track how far you run. The planned monitor is not really a secret. Back in September 2009 when the 5G iPod Nano was launched, the user manual (PDF) contained instructions for pairing the iPod with the device. What about the legitimacy of this rumor? I checked into the posting history of user Nike+ Pro 16 and he or she appears to be either a Nike employee, or at least a dedicated support person. Get ready fitness freaks: just two weeks to go!

Thread: linking a heart rate monitor to iPod [Nike Discussions via Apple Insider]

See Also:

• The Nike Experiment: How the Shoe Giant Unleashed the Power of …
• Nike+ Mashup: Mario Kart Ghost Racers on Real Streets
• Apple And Nike+ Bring Their iPods To The Gym
• Nike+ Hacked to Open Cars From Afar
• Nike+ Coming to All Nike Running Shoes

Picture shows existing Nike+ shoe dongle

It was hinted at back in September 2009, now it appears certain that Nike will deliver a Nike+ heart rate monitor iPod accessory to the US on June 1st. The following Nike forum post by a long-time contributor and a suspected Nike employee has set heart valves aflutter:

“I have a U.S. launch date for the Nike+ compatible heart rate monitor. It will officially launch on June 1, 2010, although it may reach some retail outlets slightly sooner. It will reach Canadian markets in June and will launch internationally in summer 2010, exact date to be determined.”

We might buy one just to prove that we’re still alive.

Nike+ heart rate monitor tipped for June 1 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s hot-selling iPad poses no threat to its Macintosh computers, but it’s already chomping into iPod sales, a research report suggests.

NPD Group on Monday afternoon released figures revealing a 17-percent year-to-year decrease for April iPod sales. Meanwhile, Mac computers are seeing healthy growth, increasing 39 percent compared to last April.

Because the iPad was released April 3, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes the new tablet device is contributing to the shrinkage in iPod sales.

“April NPD data gives us the first sign of the degree to which the iPad cannibalizes iPod or Mac sales,” Munster said. “From the early NPD data, it appears that the iPad has a minimal cannibalization impact on Mac sales, and could be slightly cannibalizing iPod sales.”

It may seem odd that Apple’s tablet computer could be impacting sales of media players rather than notebooks and desktops. However, it’s not all that surprising, since the iPad in its current state is not a full-blown computer replacement, but rather an extravagant media-consumption device.

We also wouldn’t be surprised if the iPhone is slowing down Apple’s iPod sales — especially those holding out for the fourth-generation iPhone that Gizmodo may have leaked last month.

iPod sales have been steadily dropping since the iPhone gained serious momentum in 2008. Some tech observers have predicted Apple would discontinue the iPod Classic. Given the decreasing costs of flash memory and healthy growth of iPhone OS devices, we’re willing to bet this will be the year Apple finally lays the Classic to rest.

Via BusinessInsider

See Also:

• Why We Are Obsessed With the iPad
• Wired.com Buyer’s Guide: Choose the Right iPad
• Apple iPad
• Apple iPad 3G

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

The flipside of the iPad’s seemingly inexhaustible battery life is that the length of time it takes to recharge it is best measured in epochs. Turns out, some methods work better than others. More »

Nike is making millions from its Apple-friendly wares, designed to turned technophiles into fitness freaks. Imagine the possibilities if the iPhone could not only track your running stride but also monitor your heart rate while doing it. That’s one of a suite of potential uses for this patent app from Apple, a Seamlessly Embedded Heart Rate Monitor. The design is for a series of electrodes that are, well, seamlessly embedded into the shell of a given device in such a way that they are “not visibly or haptically distinguishable on the device.” The device could then, with a touch, measure heart-rate, uniquely identify a user, and even “determine the user’s mood from the cardiac signals.” Just imagine the new flood of EKG-related apps: iPalpitate, Murmur Maker, Cardiac Arrest… the possibilities are endless.

[Thanks, Staska]

Apple’s Seamlessly Embedded Heart Rate Monitor could turn the iPhone into a new-age mood ring originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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