Nike + iPod Sports Kit

The Nike+iPod Sports Kit is a device which measures and records the distance and pace of a walk or run. The Nike+iPod consists of a small accelerometer attached to or embedded in a shoe, which communicates with either the Nike+ Sportband or a receiver plugged into an iPod Nano or an iPod Touch 2nd Generation.

If using the iPod, iTunes software can be used to view the walk or run history. The Sports Kit is able to store information such as the elapsed time of the workout, the distance traveled, pace, or calories burned by the individual wearing the shoes, and display it on the screen or broadcast it through the headphones of an iPod.

The sensor and Sportband kit allows users to store run information without the iPod Nano. The Sportband consists of two parts: a rubber holding strap which is worn around the wrist, and the receiver which resembles a USB key-disk.

The receiver displays information comparable to that of the iPod kit on the built-in display. After a run, the receiver can be plugged straight into a USB port and the software will upload the run information automatically to the Nike+ website.

The kit consists of two pieces: a piezoelectric accelerometer with a transmitter that is mounted under the inner sole of the Nike+ shoe and a receiver that connects to the iPod.

Nike+iPod for the Gym

Nike + iPod for the Gym allows users to record their cardio workouts directly to their iPods. No Sport kit or shoe sensor is required; all that is needed is a compatible iPod (3rd–4th generation iPod Nano or 2nd gen iPod Touch) and an enabled piece of cardio equipment.

As of March 2009, the seven largest commercial equipment providers were shipping enabled equipment (Life Fitness, Technogym, Precor, Star Trac, Cybex, Matrix and FreeMotion). The models of compatible cardio equipment include treadmills, Stationary Bikes, stair climbers, ellipticals, and others such as Precor's Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT). Once the user syncs an iPod with iTunes, the cardio workouts are automatically stored at Nikeplus.com, where each workout is visualized and tracked based on the number of calories burned.

The calories are converted to "CardioMiles", at a ratio of 100:1, allowing cardio users to take full advantage of all the tools and features of Nikeplus.com, and allow them to engage in challenges with other runners, walkers and cardio users, using a common currency.

Nike+ capabilities are included in the 2nd generation iPod Touch as well the new iPhone 3GS.