GeekSugar

RunKeeper: The Next Best Thing to Nike+ iPod Sports Kit

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:22:59 -0700

Fair enough, I may not be able to get my hands on the Nike+ system unless I purchase a pair of Nike running shoes - which totally irks me - but for only $10, I can get something that can help me during my runs, without compromising my favorite footwear.

RunKeeper is a new app for the iPhone that uses built-in GPS on the 3G models that helps runners, walkers, or cyclists monitor their route and distance throughout a city. So far it sounds like it is fairly accurate and is said to work better than Nike+ iPod's pedometer estimation tools. And best of all, once you get home you can check out your route, distance, and pace on Google Maps!

You can download the RunKeeper from Apple's iPhone App Store.

Apple Wants to Make It Illegal to Hack Nike+ Shoes

GeekSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:01:29 -0700

Last week's Let's Rock announcements of new iPods made me want to finally take the plunge and get the Nike+ system so I can rock out with my new Nano and get fit at the same time.

One thing holding me back, though, is Nike's own line of running shoes that you're supposed to purchase to use with Nike+. Since I need a lot of support and am picky about my running shoes, I just thought I'd hack the system and put the Nike+ sensor in my chosen pair of shoes.

But hold up, says Apple - turns out they're filing a patent to make it illegal to put those little sensors in other shoes. I'm deflated. I understand that it's proprietary technology, but I can't tell my feet that! Do you use Nike+?

Daily Tech: Nike Sport Kit Is Coming to the iPhone

GeekSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:31:34 -0700

The popular Nike + iPod Sport Kit is said to be making its debut on the iPhone soon, after various screenshots were leaked. - iPhon.fr
Any MobileMe customer who has had an account active as of Aug. 19 at midnight PDT is eligible to receive two months free of MobileMe service, since it has been so buggy since its launch. - CrunchGear
The BlackBerry Bold will be arriving in Canada via the Rogers Wireless Network on Aug. 21 and will most likely cost $399 on a three-year contract. - The Boy Genius Report
Google gets the top score on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. - TechCrunch
Are teens addicted to their gadgets more at risk for high blood pressure and heart attacks?- Switched

Nike Plans To Offer iPod Workout Systems In All Shoes

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:09:31 -0700

With the popularity of the iPod and the Nike + iPod nano system, Nike will be incorporating its workout system into all of its running shoes by the end of the year. Nike has already launched six lines of the Nike+ workout system runners for both men and women, priced at $80 and up. Nike + iPod kit includes a pedometer that fits inside Nike+ ready shoes.

The pedometer communicates wirelessly with your iPod nano so you can get audible and visual readouts of your time, speed, and distance while listening to tunes or podcast workouts.

Daily Tech: Nike Coming Out With Marty McFly Sneakers!

GeekSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:03:58 -0700

The Nike McFly 2015s may not give you airborne flying capabilities, but they will look like MJF's ankle-high sneakers and offer Flywire technology, which is said to be ultra-light materials. Watch for their availability in late July. - Wired
Sony Ericsson takes home the greenest electronics company award in Greenpeace's Greener Electronics Guide. - Gizmodo
Snackr is a PC- and Mac-friendly Adobe AIR-based RSS reader that will pull stories from your feed list and display them on your desktop. - CrunchGear
Over 100 students at Fort Sumner High School in Libery, MO, received Zune music players to watch educational videos and listen to podcasts recommended by teachers. - Yahoo! News
I feel for you Canada, why oh why isn't Rogers offering an unlimited data plan for the iPhone 3G like AT&T?! Unlimited plans should be a universal right! - Crave

More Details About Apple's New Nanos!

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:30:35 -0700

If the name of Steve Job's latest presentation - Let's Rock - led you to believe that he would be unveiling new iPods, you would be right! But not only were we the first to see the new Nano design at the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts today in San Francisco, but we also got a sneak peek at some new yet-to-be-released games to hit the App Store, the details on the newest upgrades to iPod Touch, and the scoop on what the cool new features will be for iTunes 8.

The big news of the morning obviously was the new Nanos! This generation will be smaller, packed with more features, and more cost effective. Oh, did I mention the colors? The new Nano will make your plain old black and white versions green with envy. Not to mention purple, pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, and grey.

How much will the new Nano set you back? To get pricing, more product details, pics, and to find out what else is coming up in the world of Apple, just read more.

Also being included in the newest iTunes release, the Genius Playlist creator will analyze the current track you are playing and toss together a cool playlist based on the features of that song, giving you a mix of similar songs to listen to without having to hunt and peck through your music. Other goodies include an accelerometer, a built-in voice recorder, and a "Shake to Shuffle" feature. Yes, you really can shake it!

Thankfully, Steve wants us to save a little dough while enjoying our tunes! The new Nano will come in two versions: 8GB for $149 and 16GB for $199. Plus, they are available this week for you to pick up. My wallet already feels a little lighter. What else did Steve announce today? Here's a rundown:

iPod Touch will be smaller, sleeker, and louder with an on-board speaker. Plus, the Nike + iPod transmitter will be built right into the Touch - no more lame transmitter sticking out the bottom! The iPod Touch will come in three models: 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, and $32GB for $399.
New games hitting the App Store include Spore Origins, Need for Speed: Undercover, and Real Soccer 09.
The iPod Classic will get a hefty storage bump, going from 80GB to 120GB with a $249 price tag.
iTunes will now offer HD TV shows, including those from NBC for $2.99
The update for your iPhone to 2.1 will fix bugs and dropped calls and will back up iTunes faster.

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Daily Tech: 3G iPhone to Include GPS, Nike+ and Much More

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:50:39 -0700

Rumors are swirling that the new and improved iPhone will feature Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity to provide Nike+ applications to go, including the Nike+ Coach feature. - Gizmodo
The four finalists in the international $1.8 million Millennium Technology Prize from the Technology Academy of Finland have just been announced. - USA Today
Are you an obsessed bubble-wrap popper? The Japanese have just designed a new toy, the "Eternal Poppety-Pop," which can constantly fill and refill bubbles in a sheet of bubble wrap. - CrunchGear
Check out what Virgin America flights have to offer with this video review by Gina Hughes. - Techie Diva
TeamSugar user Cinnamon Girl tells us five things you never knew your cell phone could do. - Technology & Gadgets

Geek Tip: Customize Your Kicks Online

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:06:17 -0700

I love a good set of online tools on a website, especially when it's coupled with another one of my favorite things: shopping. I'm especially loving the instant gratification of the design-your-own sneakers tools from some favorite brand-name shoe companies: Nike, Puma, Converse, and Keds all offer a customization option for a few of their classic sneaker designs.

Though the tools vary by site, essentially you can click on different sections of the shoe: interior, left side, right side, details, laces - and choose a color or print for each section. You can view your shoe from different angles, too - side view, top view, back view, and more. The tools are incredibly easy to use and a lot of fun. I may not be able to commit to just one pair! If you can stop playing with the design tools and finally commit to your perfect pair, know that they'll take a little longer to arrive - each pair is custom-made to order.

Which Apple Announcement Are You the Most Excited About?

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:33:21 -0700

It was a busy day in SF yesterday with all eyes on the "It's Only Rock and Roll" event. Not only did Steve Jobs made his triumphant, black turtlenecked return to the keynote stage after taking time off for his health, but iTunes 9 was introduced, and then there were the iPods. Oh, the video and FM tuner enabled iPods. Plus, who could forget the monster capacity bump to 160GB on the iPod Classic and new candy-colored iPod Shuffles? My head is spinning.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about the iPod Nano's video function (which shoots at VGA quality 640x480), as well as the integrated Nike + pedometer. I mean, hello - a geek's gotta stay in shape! Now share your favorites - which Apple announcement are you most excited about?

Introducing the iPhone 3G S!

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:02:35 -0700

And the news we've all been waiting for, ladies and gents! The brand-spankin' new, third-generation iPhone: the iPhone 3GS.

The iPhone 3G S looks externally exactly like the iPhone 3G - same dimensions, same availability on black and white - but inside, it's a whole different story.

The first thing you want to know: yes, the iPhone 3GS can take video. The camera supports still and video capture - you just have a record button now. You can also scrub through and edit video directly from the camera!

The still camera itself is beefed up too - it's now working with 3 megapixels, autofocus, auto white balance, and auto macro. They've added low-light sensitivity, and a biggie: tap-to-focus, which lets you tap on a subject in your lens that you want to focus on, and it'll blur the background.

Besides the awesome new camera features, the new iPhone is also coming with better battery life, Nike+ support, and Voice Control. Voice control is amazing - it not only lets you say the name of your contacts to call them, but it also works with your iTunes so you can listen to specific songs, start your favorite playlists, and even tell it to "hear more songs like this" when combined with the iTunes Genius Playlist.

Want one of your own? Find out the release date, pricing and more specs when you read more.

The new iPhone 3GS will come in white or black, in 16GB and 32GB flavors, and will cost you $199 and $299, respectively. But for all you late adopters, Apple is making it easier for you to enter their world by offering the current 8GB iPhone 3G model for only $99. When is all this happening? The $99 pricing for the 3G begins today, and the iPhone 3GS comes out June 19.