Radio on Nike+iPod Sport Kit could be used to track you

Nearly every time someone comes out with a new wireless gadget, leave it to the security-nistas to spoil all the fun. Wired News is reporting that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit could be used to track runners, according to Scott Saponas, a University of Washington computer science graduate student, and a few university colleagues. These researchers have set up a pretty frightening scenario describing how a geeky stalker could set up a tiny computer to monitor the Nike+iPod system when it passes by a certain point. The basic issue is that apparently the Nike+iPod system has a read range of 60 feet due to its internal power source, compared to the 10-inch range of typical RFID tags found in clothing or credit cards. The team has suggested a solution to the problem, which would be to uniquely pair one sensor to one reader. That seems reasonable to us, but until then, we'll start randomizing our jogging route just to really screw with these dudes.

[Via Wired News, thanks Christopher G.]

[Brian B. @ Nov 30th 2006 2:54PM]

So what.

[mandarin @ Nov 30th 2006 4:16PM]

Another useless trinket on sale for xmas....
Stop polluting the earth with this garbage Nike!

[Ian @ Nov 30th 2006 4:36PM]

OK so the sensor and reader are not uniquely paired? What happens when you go running with your group of friends who all just got this toy? Are you all interfering with each other's info? That's just stupid.

[Foof @ Nov 30th 2006 9:35PM]

It is uniquely paired at run-time (excuse the pun), so you can be in a crowd of hundreds/thousands at a race and not have to worry about accidentally syncing with someone else's footpod. I think the article intended to say the signal should be encrypted, so anyone "listening in" wouldn't be able to tell if it's your nike+ or someone else's.

[SubGenius @ Nov 30th 2006 5:27PM]

FROM APPLE's FAQ
What happens if my friend and I both use the Nike + iPod system on a run together?

Your sensor and receiver are linked to one another; your friend�s sensor and receiver are linked together. So your data goes to your iPod nano, your friend�s data to his or her iPod nano.

[GioNYC @ Nov 30th 2006 5:24PM]

I saw this garbage at the Apple store next to a pair of $300 earphones. I wanted to laugh. Some shmuck will buy it for Christmas!

[jmchez @ Nov 30th 2006 5:41PM]

This "useless" gadget works fantastically well (99% accurate). If you already have an iPod Nano, $30 is not a bad deal to help you along on your runs. You don't even have to buy Nike shoes; they already sell clip on attachments or you can use a strip of sticky velcro. Of course, if you want to spend $250 - $350 and not bother with music then you can buy a Garmin, Polar or Suunto system.

Having said that, the worries of being tracked are beyond idiotic. So if somebody wants to know when I run, they would have to follow me from 60 ft away or put sensors along my route? On top of that, they would have to hack a Linux computer? Cm'on people, just stalk the old fashioned way, sit outside my house in a car. It's cheaper that way.

[SubGenius @ Nov 30th 2006 6:10PM]

"Another useless trinket on sale for xmas...." -mandarin
This this has been available for a long time.

"I saw this garbage at the Apple store next to a pair of $300 earphones." -GioNYC
Just because it isn't expensive doesn't mean it doesn't work well.
In fact, I think it works great.
I don't know what your problem with it is.
your post makes it sound like you haven't even tried it.

[tekdroid @ Nov 30th 2006 6:14PM]

their document is interesting, but I stopped short of downloading the 200MB (!) MOV file.

There is certainly the potential for privacy invasion and theft (especially when coupled along run routes and as part of a larger wi-fi network. Overall, nice paper.

[tekdroid @ Nov 30th 2006 6:20PM]

ah, just came to me: I suppose cyclists having wireless speedometers from http://www.cateye.com and http://www.sigmasports.com could be tracked easily, too? ;)

[tekdroid @ Nov 30th 2006 6:21PM]

er, http://www.sigmasport.com
Typo

[morcheeba @ Nov 30th 2006 6:59PM]

Not so much news. The upcoming ANT protocol uses a 32-bit serial number, so it's also trackable. The ever-popular Polar heart rate monitors are coded, too -- I'm not sure how unique, but still trackable.

http://www.thisisant.com/index.php?section=31

[Lee Gibson @ Nov 30th 2006 8:32PM]

Your tight sweater must be cutting off the blood flow to your head, because everybody knows that only iPod users are susceptible to muggings, going deaf from high noise levels, or being tracked while wearing radios in their tennis shoes.

iPods are the only device ever to pose a completely manufactured danger to anybody. Don't you listen to the news?

[Rick @ Nov 30th 2006 7:38PM]

I love this thing. It works really well, is a lot of fun, and makes running a heckuva' lot more interesting for me. And now with these potential tracking issues, my new tinfoil helmet will look divine with my silver nano.

[Morgan @ Dec 1st 2006 10:40AM]

I thought you did pair one sensor to one reader..? That's the whole point to them working. You wounldn't be able to job in new york without getting everyone else's shoe data being sent to you ipod.

[Kallie @ Dec 1st 2006 10:56PM]

Hello all-

Below is a statement from Nike on the subject:

"Nike takes consumer privacy very seriously. The Nike + iPod Sport Kit features the same level of security as millions of other wireless consumer electronics devices, such as mobile phones, bluetooth devices and cordless phones. Should the consumer have any concerns, the sensor can easily be turned off or removed."

[Ed Flores @ Dec 2nd 2006 6:23PM]

Most techs are out of shape and are too busy playing World of Warcraft to even bother tracking someone with the Sport Kit. No worries, but uf one of then does, just throw them a slice of pizza and they'll leave you alone.

[Ryan @ Dec 12th 2006 9:54AM]

It's fairly pointless for the receiver to be able to pair to other sensors in the first place considering Apple doesn't offer a standalone sensor for purchase and suggests buying another kit when the sensor battery dies.