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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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Product: Marware Sportsuit Sensor +
Price: $9.99
Rating: Very Good 8.55/10.0
Pros: Securely protects Nike+ iPod wireless sensor, durable, lightweight and inexpensive
Cons: Not waterproof
Overall: Marware’s Sportsuit Sensor + is a terrific adapter for runners who want the benefits of the new Nike+iPod Sport Kit, but don’t want to spend the extra cash on Nike+ Ready shoes.  For only $9.99 it is an investment you won’t regret and we highly recommend it.

Incredibly excited by the new Nike+iPod alliance - but unwilling to part with your favorite pair of non-Nike shoes?  Fear not - because Marware has come to the rescue with their Sportsuit Sensor +.

Performance - 9 - After using the Sportsuit Sensor + on several training runs and feeling quite confident in it’s performance, I decided to use it during a recent half-marathon.  Once again - I was very impressed.  Throughout the 13.1 miles I never had to adjust it, nor did it ever cause me any discomfort.  As a matter of fact, it is so lightweight that I basically forgot I was even wearing it.

Design - 8.5 - The device has a Velcro strap that folds around your shoe laces for a secure fit.  The Nike+ iPod wireless sensor fits perfectly inside the rubber pouch and is very secure.  It can be taken on and off with ease; enabling runners to use it on multiple pairs of shoes.  It is made from durable neoprene and rubber; strong enough for even the most competitive runners and fastest sprinters.  The only flaw is that it’s not waterproof and therefore will be unable to fully protect the wireless sensor if you are running in the rain. 

Editor’s note - The overall rating was calculated by weighting Performance as 70% and Design as 30%. 

Check out some of the previous Final Sprint Reviews to help you keep that pace in your next race.

Read [The Final Sprint]

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