Nike and TomTom display watch with marathon capabilities
Running out with time
CES 2011 Nike and TomTom have come together to create the Nike+ SportWatch GPS, unveiled this week at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The Nike+ SportWatch GPS is a wrist-mounted portable computer that supplies an athlete with information they may need while on a run. It captures location details and shows time, distance, pace and calories burnt on the screen within a customisable layout.
Tap the screen to set laps and activate backlight, or view history with data from past runs. Owners can access personal records including those from Nikeplus.com and even connect up a heart monitor. The GPS receiver works in tandem with the Nike+ Sensor, which is built into an athlete's shoe and feeds additional information to the device.
Plug it into your Mac or PC and the Nike+ Connect interface will launch for automatic information transfer to Nikeplus.com.
From here, each run is graphically mapped using TomTom technology and includes route notes, elevation and length. Runners can find their ideal route and search by location, length, difficulty and landmark.
Data from each run is automatically applied to all current Nike+ Challenges, Nike+ Goals and Nike+ Coach programs in which the runner is involved.
To top it off, the watch also gives acknowledgements and encouragements - like a Southpark Shakeweight perhaps?
The Nike+ SportWatch GPS will retail from April 1. No prices are available yet. ®
COMMENTS
agggh!
Yes, a mobile phone may be able to do this, but some of us like to go jogging without a phone, it gives us a bit of piece and quiet.
This watch has a market, and its not token joggers with their sodding iphones.
It is just a garmin forerunner replacement
Some competition with the Garmin Forerunners is welcome (some of their latest ones are a bit dodgy at times).
As for running with a phone app, it'd be okay for jogging but if you're running and you want to have a look at how far you've gone or how fast you're going you need a watch not something heavy that can't cope with rain, needs buttons pressing and dies after three or four hours GPS use.
Not so 'new'
So it's a bit like the Garmin GPS watches that have done pretty much the same thing for... oh, two years, or maybe longer? Is it not worth mentioning them? The article makes it sound like this is some sort of new-fangled technology.
It's not hideous...
That's the first Nike branded watch I've ever seen that's not hideous...
You have to wonder how many people actually need the ability to look up past data etc *when they're running* - if I just try to use my phone whilst walking I end up walking into lampposts...
They should probably concentrate on data collection on your person and then analysis later - either to a PC, phone or tablet.
Generalisation
Your ignorant comment is unjustified; I have used various pieces of hardware to track very long cycling as part of a club, running, and rowing.
To my surprise, the iPhone has been the best balance of them all, with the least amount of quirks in RunMeter and RunKeeper. I use RunMeter now, as it has so many features, and is currently cheaper than RunKeeper.
I export the data in various formats, which is invariably useful.
Some people run with headphones, some without. Personally I do both, depending on my mood at the time - but the hardware used does not determine whether someone is a 'token' jogger or serious amateur/professional runner.
The software is what matters, and I wish other logging hardware, including mobile phones, were as robust as the iPhone I use.
I would like a watch to use, especially if it was an mp3 player too, but this one is linked to the Nike+Plus system, and it is really not that good, with very few features. Someone put RunMeter on a similar watch and I'm sold!
