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Nike has officially announced its new Nike+ SportBand, which will be available on April 10. When we mentioned the Sportband a couple of days ago, there was a very limited amount of information about it yet, so we didn’t expect that aside from launching an uber cool gizmo specifically for runners, Nike was also launching the SportBand with its online runner’s coaching system – the Nike+ Coach. If that sounds familiar to you, well that’s because Adidas has a similar service in partnership with Samsung, the Adidas Mi Coach which utilizes mobile handsets instead of the SportsBand. 

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For stylish runners who want to make sure they’re not slacking off on their daily routine, perhaps there’s nothing better than Nike running shoes paired with a Nike+ accessory. The Nike+ iPod was one formidable setup but Nike’s latest move shows just how fruitful the partnership turned out to be. Apparently, Nike has ditched the Nike+ iPod setup and instead will deliver its own brand of accessory to go with the Nike+ service. Nike’s new accessory will be called the Nike+ Sportband, and yes, this is what Nike minus iPod is going to be all about.

The Nike+ Sportband will deliver basically the same functionality as Nike+ iPod, minus the funky, upbeat music, of course. The Nike+ Sportsband will give users real time access to pace, distance, time and burned calories, and you can connect it to your PC or Mac via USB. It also serves as a USB key in which you can store a limited amount of data like photos and short digital documents. I know what exactly what the Nokia execs are thinking right now: “How come we didn’t come up with something like this until now?!“

Via [Gizmodo]

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Gadget enthusiasts were deeply disappointed in the proprietary nature of Apple’s Nike + iPod SportKit, a $29.00 iPod accessory that allows you to monitor your workout using an attachment to the iPod’s dock connector and a wireless transmitter in your shoe. It’s a great idea, and cheap as dirt, and that’s likely because it has been necessary to purchase a $100 pair of Nike tennis shoes to accompany your bargain apple gadget.

That has all changed now, thanks to the -$12 SwitchEasy RunAway AnyShoe Adapter which lets you use your SportKit without having to shell out a WholeLottaCash for ShoesYouCan’tJustify!

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