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Lifehacker
Oscar Pistorius, double-amputee with carbon-fibre "cheetah" blades failed to qualify for the Olympics. He just missed the needed time in the 400 meter of 45.55 seconds, though it should be noted he posted a new personal best of 46.25. [New Scientist Tech, via Engadget]
This is not a leaked American Gladiators uniform. It's Nike's design for the US Olympic Track and Field suits. They're made from Nike's proprietarily named (but possibly a poly-nylon blend synthetic) swift materials. Nike claims the socks and arm coverings, with their dimpled surfaces, break up drag to the tune of 12 to 19% in those areas. The suits, Nike claims, can bring a typically sub-10 second run in the 100-meter dash down by .02 seconds. [Gizmag]
Oscar Pistorius is a sprinter with a difference: he runs on two artificial lower legs and feet fast enough that he may qualify for the Olympics. And that's something he can now attempt, given that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has just overturned a ruling by the International Association of Athletics that had banned him from competing against able-bodied runners. All because of the specialised carbon-fibre Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetic feet he uses, which represented an unfair mechanical advantage maintained the IAAF. So the advanced artificial limbs, designed after the shape of a Cheetah's hind leg, were put to the test in the lab.
The main complaints about the current Nike+ Gear aren't that it doesn't do a good job keeping track of how far you run, it's that it doesn't measure stuff like heart rate, body temperature and other factors runners care about. Nike hears you. Their latest patent for upcoming Nike+ gear expands on the current concept and features all kinds of sensors over a person's body, even possibly adding a GPS receiver so you can automatically map out the path you took on your run.
Oh… oh my. This is a running-powered bicycle (although technically, it's a tricycle, which gives it even less dignity). There are no pedals; instead, you run with the seat jammed up in your crotch and hop on the foot holds when you get enough speed going to coast. It is amazingly ridiculous, and it only gets funnier when you see the video of some dude running on it with, as I said, the seat jammed up in his crotch.
As we teased just the other day, Nike will in fact be selling a Nike+ SportBand—complete with the familiar shoe pebble, not shown—for training without the iPod nano. "Heavens! Why would you ever want to train without an iPod nano?" you ask, aghast. According to my runner friend Rid, who shunned the original Nike+ iPod like it was some kind of performance-enhancing drug, there are good reasons.
The Nike SPARQ Parachute is designed to create drag "to force athletes to push themselves harder to achieve speed" and look like a moron in Central Park. Why would I want more drag as I'm already dragging my feet to the coffee shop to have a cafe au lait, two croissants and one brioche with chocolate nuggets is beyond me. Just US$50 and a box of steroids separate you from becoming the next Ben Johnson. And a jump from knowing all the tech specs of this thing:
Here's are more photos of the Amp+, one of those Nike iPod watches we saw leaked early this year. The Amp+, a bracelet-type band, gives you normal iPod nano controls along with a scrolling LED that displays information on your Nike+iPod running status.
The design of the unit is slick and clean; constructed of a single, tapering strip of flexible rubber it has a watch-like clasp on the underside. On the wrist, it appears more as a bracelet than a watch, mostly black with a hint of red creeping up around the edges. The buttons are well-integrated and virtually disappear into the surface of the unit. The only bit that stands out from the flat black finish is the silver Nike swoosh above the LED's which, to Nike's credit, is pretty unobtrusive.
All we need now is an iPod nano, the Nike+iPod kit, some running shoes, and the desire to work out. [Joshspear]
A $7.99 gizmo that lets you use the Nike+iPod Sports Kit without having to buy swooshed trainers has gone on sale. The Shoe Pouch is a waterproof bag made of neoprene that you place the sensor inside and attach to your shoe via its shoe laces. There's another pic after the jump.
AU: I've seen one or two of these out there already, and neoprene could be a bit too loose for my money. It needs to be firmly held in place to achieve best accuracy (like, say, in the sole of the shoe?) The best ones are a custom plastic housing that fits tightly into the shoelace weaving.[Shoepouch via MacMinute]
