Steve Ballmer is being parodied in a fan-created Microsoft Zune advertisement.
It’s pretty well done. Developers developers developers! 
Ahh, saw this at AppleInsider, a touch-screen iPod. It would be cool. I just bought a little gadget – a Samsung phone. It has a little touch pad thingy. It takes a while to get used to it but now I’m quite pleased with my buy. Anyway, back to iPod news – rumor says Apple is launching next-gen iPod in August with touch-screen capabilities similar to that of iPhone.
Apple is preparing to launch a next-generation video iPod in August that features a touch-screen panel similar to the iPhone, according to DigiTimes.
Citing “sources at upstream suppliers,” the Far Eastern rumor publication reports that Wintek will be supplying the touch panels for the players.
“The Taiwan-based panel maker will begin shipping capacitive touch screen panels in the second half of 2007,” DigiTimes said. “The company noted that its touch screen panels will be used with customers’ own software and ICs.”
The last significant update to Apple’s video iPod family came almost two years ago, when the company used a media event to introduce 30GB and 60GB models with color screens and video playback capabilities.
Although the video players were refreshed the following fall, the updates were modest at best — they included game support, brighter displays, and 20GB of additional capacity on the high-end model.
Source: Apple Insider
What I am more excited about is that they are squeezing the Mac OS is so many devices these days. Apple seems to be leading in handheld technology. In future if your kids are holding those ultra powerful hand held devices, you really got to thank Apple for coming out with iPhone, Sony for coming out with PSP, Samsung with their many attempts to create slimmer products, Motorola which did a lot of good in slimmer technologies in the past. These companies are constantly pushing the limits of hand held devices. I can almost smell an iPod Nano powered by Mac OS too.
Continues from part 1 of Nike+ Review.
I ran for 200 metres and stopped. Jon plugged in the iPod to the Mac and iTunes is launched. It automatically uploads the running data from your iPod to your computer and up to the internet. Yup, it goes to the internet where you can share your runs with other Nike+ users.
(Click to enlarge.)
Now here comes the fun part, you get to monitor your runs. It connect to the Nike+ servers using your iPod receiver as your unique identifier. That would unfortunately mean that losing your receiver mean bye bye statistics. Here are some screenshots of the Nike+ interface, it’s something runners would find useful. It tells you the distance, the time, the pace and the calories burn out of your run. It’s the feature I love most! It charts your progress.
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See how you perform in each run. It tells you where you use your PowerSong. It’s always fun to return home after a run and plug in your iPod to your computer to check out the statistics.
With such comprehensive statistics for the runner, running will never be the same again. The whole interface is well thought and easy to navigate around. If you have Yahoo! Widgets you can download a widget to your desktop. It is compatible to Windows (including Windows Vista) and Mac OS. It monitors your goals and you can even challenge friends to runs!
(Click to enlarge.)
I am not really a runner but many people already are, about a thousand odd people are using Nike+ and they upload their route online to share. You can scroll to Jurong East and see what routes people are running. It’s a simple idea but it’s ingenius. When you get bored with your own running tracks, you can try nearby locations. You can plot your own track too and it will measure the distance as you plot. Really cool stuff.
Nike+ Apparel
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I previously mentioned the problem of iPod ear phone wires jumping around when you run. It wouldn’t happen if you have one of those tops above. Nike+ apparel holds your ipod Nano in a snug fitting, water resistant pocket right in your shirt or shorts. In addition Nike+ apparel comes with a wire management system that lets you loop your earphone wires through a network of holes to hold the wires in place. This prevents irritation and more importantly abrasion. Men and women designs are available. You can enlarge to view a larger screenshot.
Conclusion
Overall the Nike+ online experience is just awesome. I absolutely love the social aspect of the tool, you get to interact with friends and look at their runs too. It’s most rewarding perhaps to monitor your own statistics knowing how much better you are running today, as compared to say – two months ago. Nike+ is definately a must get for iPod Nano owners who loves their runs, it makes a great gift for a friend too!
I get into the Nike store without knowing much about this product and my experience has been a positive one. It’s fun knowing and blogging about it too, I thank Jon for the opportunity.
Find out more information at Nike+.
Last Saturday, Jon gave an opportunity to try out one of Nike’s new product – Nike+.
In case you haven’t heard, Nike teamed up with the great guys from Apple to build a device that can monitor runner’s pace and distance through Apple iPod and a sensor.
(From left to right: Nike+ shoes Moires, Apple iPod, Nike+ Sport Kit and Nike+ Armband.)
You’ll need the following:
- Apple iPod Nano – The most common digital music player of today!
- Nike+ Shoes – Nike rolled out a whole line of shoes designed by Bill Bowerman (co-founder of Nike) that supports the Nike+ device.
- Nike+ Sport Kit – Comes with the sensor and receiver, to be attached to shoes and iPod respectively.
- Nike+ accessories or apparel – The armband secures the iPod to your body. Nike+ tops are also available, I’ll show you more later.
These Nike+ enabled shoes includes a special compartment that’s located within the sole of the shoes that allows you to slot in the sensor. You can remove the insole of a Nike+ enabled shoe to insert the sensor. It rests under your feet, measuring your acceleration as you move your left foot during a run.
Jon picked a pair of Nike+ Triax X for me to try, it looks a little like the main shoes in the picture below. I’ve got slight flat foot and Triax X is designed to give better stability. Walking around felt comfortable and light and I instantly for in love with the pair of shoes. For years, I’ve ignored my foot condition and go those normal foot shoes! Oh, Nike hasn’t forsaken the female jogging lovers too; Nike has shoes that you’ll love.
(Main feature: Men’s Air Structure Triax+ 10. Bottom, from left to right: Women’s Air Structure Triax+ 10, Women’s Air Zoom Vomero+ 2, Women’s Air Span+ 4 and Women’s Air Zoom Moire+.)
The left shoe insole is removed to reveal a tiny compartment to fit the Nike+ Sensor. The iPod Nano is then plugged in with a receiver. I wore the Triax again and it didn’t feel heavier on the left, the sensor weighs around 10 grammes only! The iPod Nano knows what to do once you plug it in and the Nike+ menu is revealed. Here a Basic Workout is selected:
The iPod provides information all runners will love to have, your pace and your distance traveled! I tried moving my feet around, stepping around without really moving. Seem like the sensor’s actually smart enough to detect I’m just cheating around. The sensor is an accelerometer and not a pedometer so it does not measure the number of steps you run and convert it. Instead, it calculates your speed (miles or km per minute) & distance based on the interval between each footstrike. You may have to calibrate it a little to increase the accuracy.
(Nike+ Armband Monty.)
After explanation of the technology involved, I got on a treadmill to test out. It’s been half a month since I last ran and running in front of restaurants makes me hungry. I didn’t have an armband and running with the iPod wires didn’t feel enjoyable. Once I press the center button, the iPod narrates out my pace and distance traveled. I don’t even have to look at the screen! The voice didn’t sound like a crazy female robot too by the way.
I watch the numbers increase magically on the iPod. It tells you almost everything you want to know, playing your favorite tunes. Music keeps me going in a run. It’s just like in the army here they force you to sing crazy shit as you run, now you can listen to whatever you want! What’s really cool is when you’re feeling a little tired, you can hold on to the center button and iPod will launch your PowerSong! PowerSong is a special song that you preset to come on when you’re in need of some encouragement! The one at Wheelock Place just Justin Timberlake’s Rock Your Body as the PowerSong.
My Nike+ running experience is great. It’s fun and iPod’s interface is easy to use. The narating is a great feature. Nike+ doesn’t take your heart beat and it is quite expensive to start your run:
- A pair of Nike+ shoes is about SG$150
- An iPod Nano goes from SG$248 (2GB) to SG$428 (8GB)
- Nike+ Sport Kit cost SG$50
They all add up to SG$448++ if you don’t have any of the items. If you already have an iPod Nano, you can get a pair of Nike+ shoes once your shoes wears out. Because the real fun part is behind – monitoring your statistics.
There’s a rather cool product in the market right now. If you own an Apple iPod Nano, you’re in luck. Nike introduced Nike+ a couple of months back to let iPod Nano users have detail statistics of their run. It makes running a lot more fun. The video as follows shows 98.7 FM DJs Daniel Ong and Carrie Chong in a challenge. Who do you think would win?
Nike+ DJ Challenge Daniel Ong vs Carrie Chong
I just thought that you guys may be interested in some Apple promotion in Singapore. If you purchase an iPod today, you get a little discount and a free laser engravement.
Note that shopping event is available only at the online Apple Store on February 9 from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time. Sale prices are limited to stock on hand and while supplies last. Some products or promotions are not available outside Singapore.
Somebody might be interested. 
[Yay! Just 121 days to freedom!]
So J asked me if I’ve got any nice videos. And er, daryl, you know this J.
Our conversation:
J says: eh u got any nice video
K says: what you mean?
J says: i wan to put inside my ipod
K says: LOL! look, yours is a creative zen neeon, not ipod
J says: whatever the name is too long
Ouch, that sure hurts for Creative. (more…)