Philips' athletic MP3 player hits the track

Monitors performance to the sound of Chariots of Fire

By Jan Libbenga • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 8th September 2004 09:34 GMT

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Philips and Nike yesterday introduced the Mp3Run - a gadget they believe is the only product on the market that combines music and athletic performance monitoring. The unveiling was one of the few innovations at the Philips products show in the Factory Convention Centre in Amsterdam, which continues today.

Runners strap the Mp3Run to their arm and a Bluetooth-enabled speed sensor to their shoe. The sensor continuously collects data such as speed and distance covered and the Mp3Run's display shows a summary of the performance and delivers an audible summary via the headphones.

Up to 200 workouts can be stored in the player’s memory, and an unlimited number on a PC. If the runner wants an update during the run, he simply reaches over and presses the button. With 256MB of storage capacity, the Mp3Run can save up to 125 WMA tracks or 60 MP3 tracks. The player also has a built-in FM radio function with 10 presets and twelve hours' playtime.

Philips also launched a new Go Gear Wearable Camcorder, which combines a MPEG4 camcorder, 2 megapixel camera and a Mp3 audio player in one, and showed a new model of its Streamium TV, a 23-inch LCD TV that is able to wirelessly access video, music, photos and multimedia content stored on a PC. ®