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Steve Jobs, Nike CEO Mark Parker Discuss New Corporate Alliance

Thursday, May 25th, 2006 at 2:10 PM - by

When Nike hit on the idea of developing a running shoe that could track data, company CEO Mark Parker said he "quickly realized that making a smart shoe wasn't smart enough." As he explained to BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl and Stanley Holmes, a phone call to Apple CEO Steve Jobs set in motion a partnership that will see more products beyond the Nike+iPod Sport Kit introduced on Tuesday.

"If the shoe and the iPod could talk to each other, what would they say and what's the potential of that connection?" Mr. Parker asked. "We got the creative side from both companies and we started exploring." Mr. Jobs noted: "We are semiconductors and software, and Nike is anatomy and precision-molding and thin-film technologies. What's interesting is the people are very similar."

The BusinessWeek article delves into the challenges faced by both companies as they developed the product, as well as Mr. Jobs' and Mr. Parker's thoughts on where their corporate partnership can go from here.

Thanks to Macworld UK for the link.

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Bosco said:

member since 03 Jun 2002 with 1002 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu May 25, 2006 5:28 pm

Next product: Firewire/USB combo iPod adaptor shoelaces. Think of it this way. You go running and stop at a friend's house. Your friend has some great tunes that he just leached off Limewire, er, purchased on iTMS (with your account of course), so you take your shoe off and plug one end of the shoelace into his computer and the other into your iPod and in a couple minutes, you have music for your run home.

What will they think of next? Wait, I know... Coming next month from Nike Skateboarding, the P-Rod iPod limited edition shoe! Fat tongue, Max Air cushioning, patent leather with embroidered iPods. Those will be totally dope!!

Finally, for 2007, Nike will unveil a new cushioning system so advanced, you can insert an iPod Mini through the back of the shoe and see it from the sides and the bottom. Inside the SoulDock(TM) is a bluetooth headset transmitter. Comes with a wireless wristbank that adjusts songs and volume in response to sweat. Work out really hard, it plays Jack Johnson to calm you down. Doggin it? Automatically cranks up the Sum 41 and makes your ears bleed. Note: the SoulDock(TM) on the other shoe is a convenient place to put a garage door opener or housekeys.

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gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2088 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu May 25, 2006 8:31 pm

Bosco seems to miss the point rather badly. The device does essentially what a track coach does when she calls out laps and times as runners pass her. Exercise bikes and treadmills do this, too. Pacing can be an important part of training and conditioning. A lot of runners do use "power music" that they feel gives them a psychological boost.

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