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Nike rolls out a subscription service for kids’ sneakers
Whether for streaming, productivity software, health-tracking apps, clothing or deliveries, companies are increasingly adopting a subscription model to keep customers hooked and bring in revenue. The latest to join the fray is Nike, which on Monday unleashed a subscription service for kids' sneakers called Nike Adventure Club.
ICYMI: The CGI car stand-in and smart pill dispenser
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Mill Blackbird is a vehicle chassis that car commercials can use as a stand-in, rather than getting to film with an actual new car. The Pillo is a smart medication dispenser that can recognize family members and automatically give their pill dosage. It's up on Indiegogo now. And we wanted you to see both the Converse sneakers made to play guitar with, and the autonomous light show that drums. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Recommended Reading: The Jeep hack that led to a massive recall
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Hackers Remotely Kill a Jeep on the Highway -- With Me in It by Andy Greenberg Wired This piece from Wired actually sparked a recall that affects 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles. During the test, hackers were able to use an exploit to "kill" the engine, disable the brakes and track location. Pretty scary stuff.
Light up your Converse All-Stars with Adafruit's DIY tutorial (video)
If you missed out on the L.A. Lights craze of the early '90s, fear not -- there's hope for you yet. Adafruit's DIY enhancement for Converse All-Stars takes customized kicks to a whole new level with the science of electroluminescence. To light up the star on your Chucks, all you need is a pair of EL panels, tiny inverters (like a coincell or AAA battery type), some common household tools and half-way competent sewing skills. So, if you want to add some flash to your footwear and become the coolest kid in school, check out Adafruit's simple tutorial, embedded after the break.
Daily iPad app: Converse
A few weeks ago I wrote about tips while traveling with your iPad. Today I want to tell you about an app that might be useful for those traveling to other countries where they don't speak the native language. Or, it might be useful once it gets fleshed out a little more. The idea behind Converse is great. It's an app which allows you to IM a foreign speaker face to face using a split-screen dual keyboard layout. Each user can select their language and type messages to the other. Those messages are then displayed on the receiver's side of the iPad app, translated into their native tongue. As I said, the idea is a good one, but the app as it is right now is somewhat limiting. For example users can only choose from seven languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. But what's more frustrating is that the translations are almost word for word and don't take syntax into account. That means your translated message might read like a two year old wrote it. Furthermore, the iPad app requires an Internet connection to work, which means if you're standing on the side of the road in Porto desperately trying to find where the next train to Lisbon is, Converse is going to be no help in asking your question to someone who doesn't speak the language. Another issue: Converse has no way of entering numbers, which are universal, so you have to spell them out and that takes more time to type (and due to the lack of syntax can add to some confusion). I write about this app because I think if the developer flushes out some bugs, works on syntax, and integrating dictionaries into it so it doesn't require an Internet connection, it'll be a good one to have while traveling. Also, if the dev can find out a way to make it an iPhone app that would be great, though admittedly it might be hard to fit two keyboards on an iPhone's screen at the same time and remain usable. Converse is US$4.99 in the App Store.
Thank you Mario, but our new Converse are in another country
Converse already showed off two Mario-themed Chuck Taylor shoe designs, due in Japan next month. Before those have even hit stores, the shoe company revealed two more designs that put Super Mario Bros. level designs on your feet. One of the new designs is a wraparound of 1-1. Flip down the top of the high-top and you'll find a night scene, with Luigi picking up coins. The other design is Mario battling Bowser, with a hidden "Thank you Mario!" and princess on the second layer of canvas. The two designs are, like the other Mario shoes, Japan-only, and will be out in August. You'll either have to import, or just visualize your feet in these.
Super Mario (Converse) All-Stars coming to Japan
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo released a retread of Super Mario All-Stars. Now, working with Nintendo, Converse is releasing some Mario-themed goods to aid in your treading. This July, Converse will offer special edition Chuck Taylor All-Star shoes in two styles, with tiled Mario sprites against either a white or black canvas. Even the star on the All-Star logo gets a Mario makeover. Unfortunately, these kicks have only been announced for Japan, so it may be difficult for you to look this cool.
Forget Chuck Taylor: Nintendo All-Stars
We're gonna go ahead and warn you up front: these shoes are not for the faint of heart (or wallet), but they are just so, well, Nintendo-y, that we had to share them. Our fanboy hands were tied. These custom-painted Converse are a (very, very expensive) Nintendo love song you can wear on your feet, and they're available on eBay for the low, low current bid of $255. But wait! You're not actually bidding on these shoes (which is good, because they probably wouldn't fit you anyway). Instead, you're bidding on a commission. Win, and seller Cole Ranze will do up a pair to your specifications (and size).[Via GameSniped]
