Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

“Athletic Performance Sensing and/or Tracking Systems and Methods” is the title of a new patent applied for by Nike, in relation to its collaboration with Apple on something called Nike+iPod. While you probably thought that Nike finally ditched Apple when it released the Nike+ Sportband, this new patent reveals that Nike and Apple are actually on planning a few new things for their Nike+iPod team up, including adding support for activities other than running (such as yoga, karate, pilates and free weights) aside from expanding into the iPhone and iPod touch lineup.

When the idea behind this patent bears fruition, expect it to provide you with ways to create customizable workouts, motivational playlists, and specific feedback for your sessions in order to help you keep track of your performance, whether you’re actually improving or not.

Well it’s about time they got to work on this thing. With all the gleaming tech under the hood of the iPhone, it’s not unusual to hear Nike+iPod being able to do all of this. And as with all great things, the question of course, is when, where, and how much?

Read [USPTO] Via [iLounge]

StubHub, an online ticket reselling market not too different from eBay, has made it through its legal troubles with sports teams (for the time being).  Several sports teams encourage their fans to use the service, but others, like the New England Patriots, aren’t so fond of it due to its scalping-like nature.

eBay has just announced plans to acquire StubHub for $310 million.  For years, the service has been skimming people away from eBay, and bringing them into an all-tickets, all-the-time atmosphere - which is exactly what sports-fans were looking for.  Now, eBay has done what most major companies would do (or at least try to do), and bought up their competition.

StubHub was founded back in 2000 by Fluhr and Baker (pictured above) and made $100 million in revenue just last year.  Sounds like a wise investment on the part of eBay.

Read [Mercury News] Via [VentureBeat]

Stumped as to what to buy the runner and tech enthusiast in your family this Christmas? Look no further. Suunto has now added a complete marathoner’s companion, the Suunto Marathon Pack, to their product line-up.

Read more at TFS...

Ever dreamed of having your own personal trainer or running coach that would work around your schedule, not cost a fortune and help you reach your goals?  Well the concept behind the new Adeo Fitness Companion by Motion Lingo might just bring those dreams into reality. Motion Lingo is a new and exciting company that specializes in GPS-enabled fitness products.  The company’s flagship product is the ADEO (a-dee-oh), a device that’s about the size of the iPod mini and weighs only 2 ounces. 

It automatically fades the music from your MP3 player to give you audible and programmed updates and then turns your music back up.  These updates keep you motivated and informed on your progress; reporting on your pace, elevation, distance run, calories burned, lap time and total elapsed time.  The Adeo also keeps you updated on the battery status, time of day and your peak pace during the workout.

What’s the difference between the Adeo and the Nike+iPod Sporkit? The Sporkit uses an inaccurate accelerometer and is only meant to work with the iPod nano and Nike + shoes.  Conversely, the Adeo uses GPS satellites for what has been reported to be far more accurate results and universal compatibility with any mp3 player on the market. 

Read more [TFS]

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]

The Nokia 5500 Sport has been improved and dubbed the Music Edition by adding a 512 MB microSD card for up to 375 songs, a fitness carrying strap, bicycle holder, and sports headset wrapped in a energetic color.

The carrying strap allows the 5500 to be worn around the waist or strapped around an arm. The sports headset also offers hands-free convenience for music and conversations with an athletic, over-the-ear design. Tunes can be transferred to the handset from your PC via the Nokia Music Manager software. Don’t forget about the integrated pedometer, telling you the distance travelled and calories burned during a run. Other activities, such as a cycling or cross-country skiing can also monitor distance and calories with an optional GPS accessory. Results of workout routines can then be transferred from the Nokia 5500 Sport Music Edition to a PC to follow individual progress (can someone say that the Nike+ has been a hit).

When it comes to messaging features, the Nokia 5500 Sport Music Edition is as versatile as a decathlete. With the press of a single button to activate three dedicated “modes”, the Nokia 5500 Sport Music Edition can switch from a phone mode to stay in touch, a music mode to relax or energize, and a sports mode to help users go the extra mile. With a high-powered smartphone at heart, the handset can even support text-to-speech technology. With two taps, the Nokia 5500 Sport Music Edition reads an SMS aloud. A 2 megapixel camera completes the well-rounded feature set of the Nokia 5500 Music Edition.

Read [Nokia] Via [Camera Phone Plaza]

Mobile TV has has had a tough time catching on in this age of iPods and other devices getting video.  The only thing you can’t get for your iPod is live, on-location content.  That’s exactly what Sprint has to bring to the table with their latest offering, Power View.  A complement to Power Vision, Power View is essentially a network of sports programming, which is to be shot by in-house camera crews - 15 of them to be exact.  The crews will shoot on-location and deliver exclusive content to Sprint’s mobile subscribers, including shows with big-name TV anchors like James Brown.  The service will come free with any Sprint TV subscription, so don’t worry about another upcharge beyond that of Power Vision.

Check out the initial show schedule after the break.

• NFL Game Center: hosted by sports broadcasting veteran James Brown. This 5-minute show will preview the day’s games and offers analyses on key matchups, injuries and more.


• U.S. Open Wrapup Report: featuring Jim Courier and Carrie Milbank. This show recaps the USTA’s U.S. Open and includes video highlights from the tournament, insight, analysis and commentary.


• The Mobile Fix: Updated daily at 5 p.m., this 5-minute show gives all the juiciest entertainment news and hot gossip.


• Daily Dose: hosted by Ryan McDonough (of FOX Soccer Channel). Updated daily at 8 a.m., this 5-minute show provides an in-depth preview of key daily matchups in all sports and recaps prior day’s developments and helps sports fans stay “in the know.”


• NFL Preview: also featuring James Brown, this show offers a quick overview of the NFL season.


• NFL Wrap: hosted by NFL radio veteran Bruce Murray, this show airs Sundays at 5 p.m. (and updated again at 8 p.m.). It includes video highlights from the day’s games, analysis with detailed commentary, key plays, coaching moves and more.


• New York Fashion Week coverage: debuting today, this show provides updates and interviews with designers and fashion editors.

Read [Sprint] Via [Engadget Mobile]

XM has officially announced that they’re adding an all sports, all the time channel called XM Sports Nation to their lineup.  The channel will have original first-run shows hosted by such celebs as Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Cal Ripken, Jr., Coach Mike Krzyzewski, James Carville and Luke Russert.  They’ll also syndicate shows from Sporting News Radio by Tim Brando, Tony Bruno and Troy Aikman, among others.  Sounds like a hell of a channel… if I could only get away from my computer.  The channel is set to debut on August 28.  Check out the programming guide here.

Via [Orbitcast]

Basketball fans you now have two things to look forward too. No, it’s not the bounce back of Larry Brown or even the Knicks having a rebound season after last year’s fiasco. Speaking of bouncing and rebounds, Spalding the official basketball provider of the NBA has just released a new high-tech basketball. Dubbed the Cross Traxxion it packs a new design that will have a better grip and feel.

“Two interlocking panels cover the ball and provide more material coverage. The material is a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game.”

To the average basketball fan the new high-tech ball might mean everything but to the average shopper, the $99.99 price tag might come with some hype of its own. So, if new kicks make you jump better this ball is sure to make you think you can shoot. Or leave you wondering why you just spent $99.99 on an orange ball.

Read [HipTechBlog]

Always wanted a personal trainer but just couldn’t shell out the extra $50 per workout? What if getting a personal trainer was as easy as making a new playlist in iTunes?

A new addition to the iPod craze has spawned - the iTrain, it allows users to download personalized workout information straight to their MP3 player. Workout choices include: iTrain, iClimb, iTread, iCycle, and iStrength, for other options visit their website. A yearly workout package runs for $49.99, a monthly for $9.99, or if you’d like, get a sampler for under $1.00 per workout.

Now while this won’t get you to the gym, it may help you stay there longer and for much cheaper than a personal trainer.

Read [Chip Chick]
Image via [Daily Colonial]