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Crowdfunding campaign hopes to beat Nike to auto-lacing shoes
Ever since Marty McFly first wore them in Back to the Future Part II, we've all dreamed of auto-lacing shoes. Nike has now said that a pair will launch in 2015, but despite that, a Canadian startup is taking to Kickstarter to try and beat the shoe giant to the punch with its Powerlace P-One shoes.
Cut strokes off your golf game with Nike Golf 360
I have been playing golf for a long long time and in all those years I have never met another golfer who wasn't trying to find some way to improve and lower his score. Now Nike Golf 360 contains a number of aids that could do just that. The free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later. The app offers a number of ways to improve your basic game and lower your scores. Hundreds of golf course score cards are included in the app. You can track scores and other stats for up to four golfers in each round. You will be able to choose which tees you are playing and then get the hole's par and yardage. After playing each hole Nike Golf 360 allows you to enter each golfer's score plus driving information: left, right or in the fairway, if you hit the green in regulation, and how many putts you used. At the end of the round, the app gives you a summary of what your round was like with totals on all these stats compiled in a single screen. So if you only hit 5 of 18 greens in regulation it points to a failing in ball striking. Likewise if you used 34 putts you could probably use work on your short game. This kind of information offers a much better perspective on just where your game comes up short. Now that you know what you need to work on Nike Golf 360 provides you with tips and videos on just how to improve all parts of your game: how to hit the ball further, how to get your wedge shots closer to the hole, how to get those lag putts close enough so you don't three-putt and a lot more. The app has a feature that allows you to record your own golf swing and play it back so you can see just what you look like. Most golfers have no idea what they do with their bodies during their swing. Plus the app provides video of all the Nike contract golfers: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie and others so you can watch these professionals and compare your swing to theirs. Additionally, the app provides information and training videos that will assist your golf fitness and flexibility. The videos show you what exercises to do, how to do them, and specifically what they are intended to do for your game. Nike Golf 360 also allows you to share your results with your friends or others. You can use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to send pictures from your round and all the data you collected. Using this feature you can set up a competition with your friends and develop leaderboards that track which golfer hits the most fairways or uses the fewest number of putts. Nike Golf 360 provides golfers with numerous game improvement tips and aids and gives users a good starting point to becoming a better golfer. However as I have discovered through the years even with all this information to really improve your game you need to practice, practice, practice.
A jet fit for a (Sacramento) King: Nike's sports plane of the future
If you haven't heard of Teague, it's the Seattle-based firm that designed this year's e-bike of the future, the Pringles can and the original Xbox. The company also has a sideline aircraft cabins, and it was here that it learned of a peculiar problem facing professional sports teams. According to a 2008 study, baseball players that cross three time zones to play a game would have a 60 percent chance of losing, thanks to the lack of comfort afforded by air travel. That's why the company paired up with Nike to design an aircraft interior designed to expressly carry a basketball team from coast-to-coast without compromising their performances. That's why it comes with lie-flat beds that are tall enough for a 7-foot player, smart bathroom facilities that analyze hydration statistics and a separate chill-out zone for pre-and-post-game relaxation. Curious for a little tour of these state-of-the-art facilities? Head on down and check out the gallery.
Nike's LED basketball court boosts training with motion tracking
Wearables have become popular among athletes for monitoring training progress, but on its recent Rise campaign stop in Shanghai, Nike took a different approach. Inside the so-call House of Mamba, NBA star Kobe Bryant hosted 30 young players from all over China who trained on a full-sized LED basketball court -- complete with projected graphics and motion tracking. The playing surface displayed reactive visuals based on players' movements for drills based on Bryant's own regimen. A dozen athletes will compete this weekend in Beijing with three winners moving on to the Nike World Basketball Festival in Barcelona next month. Curious to see how it works? Well, there's a pair of videos after the break that show just that.
Weekends with Engadget: Tokyo's vending machines, new buyer's guides and more!
This week, we learned about the dangers of stem cell treatment, explored the world of 3D motion capture and went on a vending machine shopping spree in Tokyo. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Nike has a vending machine that lets you trade Fuel for gear
When we heard that Nike had put up a secret vending machine in New York City, we definitely wanted to go find it and see what all the fuss was about. But, unfortunately, we were a little bit late to the party -- the machine is now long gone, perhaps on its way to a new place (maybe Japan?). Nike's FuelBox, as the company has adequately dubbed it, is a vending machine which dispenses goods in exchange for your daily, not total, FuelBand points. As TechCrunch pointed out, Nike packed the FuelBox with a number of different stuff, including hats, shirts and socks (sorry, no kicks). It's certainly a fun incentive to drive people to rack up Fuel on their bands, and it shows that, despite the rumors of the FuelBand going away, Nike is still very heavily invested in doing things for that community. Stay on the lookout, because Nike says you never know where it could show up next.
Nike's new baseball glove construction doesn't take months to break in
If you've ever had to break in a new baseball glove, you know that the process takes time -- usually a few months at best. It can take all of Spring Training for pro players to get the leather worked out, but even then, fielders are left with hauling the weight of that material. The folks at Nike have a knack for sporting goods innovation, and working alongside Colorado Rockies' all-star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, it crafted the Vapor 360 Fielding Glove.
Engadget Daily: Lumia 630 review, the deal with laser-cut clothing and more!
Today, we dive into the realm of laser-cut clothing, review the Lumia 630, break down the benefits of the recent Xbox One update and take a look at Nike's new Android Fuelband app. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Nike finally introduces a Fuelband app for Android
Despite rumors of the Nike+ Fuelband's demise (and a cozy relationship with Apple), the sportswear maker has finally expanded its compatibility by releasing a sync app for Android. Just like the iOS companion app, it communicates with Nike's wearable fitness tracker over Bluetooth, but this one only works with the newer Fuelband SE and a select list of Android phones. Requiring Android 4.3 and Bluetooth LE support, right now that list includes the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One, Nexus 5 and the Moto X. Last year Nike denied it even had an Android app in the works, and yet here we are. The feature list looks comparable to the iOS version, but coming more than two years after the Fuelband originally launched, we're wondering how Nike+ will fit into the health and wearable plans being laid out by Apple, Google and the rest.
NBA 2K14 promo offers rare Nikes exclusively to virtual ballers
Acquiring the latest pair of Nikes used to be a simple process, requiring either lots of money or a handgun and poor impulse control. Would-be owners of Nike's special limited edition version of the LeBron 11, however, need to prove their skills on the virtual hardwoods of NBA 2K14 before the athletic wear giant will even deign to take their cash. Officially dubbed the "LeBron 11 2K14," the kicks you see above are essentially the same as the existing LeBron 11 line, only with a new (intensely gaudy) color scheme and a limited run of 2,014 pairs. To earn the right to pre-order a pair, players must spend roughly 80 hours with NBA 2K14, while completing at least 60 games in MyCareer Mode, earning an elite ranking and designing your own shoe in the Nike Innovation Kitchen, among other tasks. Once that's been completed, virtual ballers will then be allowed to give Nike $220 for the privilege of sporting basketball shoes with baffling tiger stripes and a gold Nike swoosh that would not seem out of place hanging from the neck of Rick Ross. Before you rush off to earn new shoes in the virtual NBA, you should know that despite the odd requirements for pre-ordering the LeBron 11 2K14, Nike has already selected owners for all 2,014 pairs. If you're among that lucky group, Nike should be sending you a notification shortly, and your shoes will follow quickly after. [Image: Nike]
Nike CEO: Focusing on software, 'excited' about relationship with Apple
Just a week after a report emerged that Nike could be ending its Fuelband division, CEO Mike Parker confirmed that the company would be focusing more on software rather than just hardware. In an interview with CNBC, Parker said, "We are focusing more on the software side of the experience [...] It'll be integrated into other products that we create." He also appears bullish on the Nike Fuel system, and hopes to increase the number of users on that platform. As for the fate of the Fuelband itself, he wouldn't comment on its reported demise or the related layoffs. However, he did say that there are currently over 30 million Fuelband customers and he hopes for that number to reach a 100 million, so it seems sales of the wearable won't be ending just yet. When asked about a possible hardware collaboration with Apple, Parker was coy but did say that they're "excited about where that relationship will go forward." He also said "I will say that the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue" and that he was "very excited about what's to come." If this at all points to the possibility of an iWatch, we're sure he won't be the only one.
Nike reportedly killing the Fuelband to focus on fitness software
Just days after Nike announced the launch of its Fuel Lab location in San Francisco to enhance partnerships with other digital services for athletes, there's a report that it's fired much of the team behind its FuelBand wristwear. CNET reports that, according to a person familiar with the matter, as many as 55 people from its 70-member hardware team are being laid off, and plans for another version of the FuelBand to follow the SE have been shelved. All of this comes just as the wearables market is heating up, with products already arriving from Samsung, LG, Motorola, Pebble and more, while activity tracking integrated with phones is also becoming more popular. At the same time, not all of Nike's tech initiatives have worked out, and Nike+ has largely disappeared from its shoes in the last year. A Nike spokesman confirmed to CNET a "small number of layoffs" as its "Digital Sports priorities evolve." (Update: In a statement, Nike says it "will continue to improve the Nike+ FuelBand App, launch new METALUXE colors, and we will sell and support the Nike+ FuelBand SE for the foreseeable future.")Given Nike's close relationship with Apple (Tim Cook is a member of Nike's board), one could wonder if the prospect of an upcoming wearable from Cupertino had a hand in swinging the apparel company's focus towards "simpler data-powered experiences" -- or they just spent all the money on tonight's sweet 3D projector intro to the Jordan Brand High School All-Star Game.
NikeFuel integration is coming to MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper and Strava
Nike's line of FuelBand wearables has been a popular choice for those looking to keep tabs on daily activity, but Fuel tallies haven't meant much outside of the company's own apps. Now, with the launch of the Nike+ Fuel Lab in San Francisco, the athletic outfit is looking to expand through partnerships and collaboration. Through the initiative, the Fuel platform will soon team up with "industry-leading companies" that include the likes of MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper and Strava. According to Nike, this means that over 100 million new participants will have access to its "common universal currency to monitor and evaluate" all kinds of activity. "The demand for simpler data-powered experiences is soaring, and all-day sensing is more available on mobile and wearable devices than ever before," said Nike VP of Digital Sport Stefan Olander. "Nike is committed to broadening the use of NikeFuel through collaborations with industry leaders to create smarter products and services." Unfortunately, there's no word on when the integration will begin just yet.
Nike celebrates 'Air Max Day' with the first shoppable Google Hangout
Would you buy a pair of kicks from a Google Hangout? Nike certainly hopes so. The company has teamed up with Asos to host the first shoppable Google Hangout tomorrow at 9am ET. The video celebrates 27 years of Nike's Air Max trainer, and will appear on both brand's Google+ news feeds as well as over 2 million other sites as an expandable ad (something brands have been able to do since December). Sneakerheads can shop while they watch, and make purchases directly from the promotion. We're just hoping that one of the things up for sale is a pair of Nike's limited-edition Air Max 1s.
Back to the future: Nike designer touts 2015 arrival for Marty McFly's Power Laces
Back in 2011, Nike MAGs brought the futuristic looks of Marty McFly to the feet of sneaker collectors. There was just one problem: the fashionably-lit footwear from Back to the Future II was lacking its key feature. Well, now it seems that the iconic Power Laces will finally arrive in 2015. Nike designer Tinker Hatfield confirmed that the closure is on the way next year at a recent appearance at the Jordan Brand's Flight Lab. "Are we gonna see Power Laces in 2015? To that, I say yes!," Hatfield said. In case you've forgotten, the pair of MAGs in the movie were all the rage in 2015, so the schedule lines up. As the folks over at Sole Collector note, the question remains whether we'll see a new Power Lace-equipped version of the MAGs or if the add-on will arrive on a completely new model that laces itself. If you're not into waiting or high-tech sneakers, the 2011 release is currently available on eBay for around $8,000.
Daily Roundup: FuelBand SE Silver Edition, privacy-focused Blackphone and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nike launches FuelBand SE Silver Edition, available January 19th for $169 (hands-on)
It hasn't been that long since Nike released a Rose Gold model of the FuelBand SE, and today the company's announcing another limited edition version of its activity tracker. The newly minted Silver Edition, which is part of the Metaluxe Collection, joins the Black, Pink Foil, Total Crimson, Volt and Rose Gold as a member of the current Nike+ FuelBand SE lineup. Nike's clearly done its research and knows there's a market for these shinier, special edition wearables; a quick browse through the outfit's website would tell you it is currently all sold out of the Rose Gold FuelBand SE. Other than the obvious addition of a silver plate on the clip, don't expect any other changes out of this new FuelBand SE. Which is to say, the Silver Edition's functionality is exactly the same as is found on the cheaper, more colorful Sports Pack -- namely, features like tracking daily activities, measuring intensity of workouts and being able to share this information with friends. That being said, the Silver Edition is geared toward folks who prefer a subtler and sleeker version of Nike's FuelBand SE -- and, of course, it is a needed and very solid option if gold just isn't your thing.
Nike updates Training Club app to help you keep those New Year's resolutions
You know what always comes after pigging out during the holidays: a New Year's resolution to get fit, this time (you swear!) for sure. Well, Nike's hoping to kickstart your quest to fitness by updating its Nike Training Club (N+TC) apps for Android and iOS. New features include the ability to customize exercise routines, as well as earn reward content and sharable milestones whenever you reach a goal. Nike has also added six new exercise videos (of athletes and celeb trainers) to its archive of more than a hundred. Other than that, the app's now more tightly integrated with other Nike products: it's now possible to add minutes from each run on the separate Running app to your N+TC total, and you can tag N+TC sessions on the FuelBand app. The update will hit both platforms' app stores on December 31st -- just in time to make you feel less guilty about that third slice of cheesecake on New Year's Eve.
Nike+ Running for iPhone now keeps you motivated with a coaching mode
Let's face it: Many people will need some motivation to shed those holiday pounds. Thankfully, an update to the Nike+ Running app for iOS is here to get folks moving. The fitness tool now includes a Nike+ Coach mode that delivers training programs based on both ambition and skill level; athletes can gently work up to a 5K or go all-out with marathon training. Should they start slacking, the app can also send run reminders and offer tips. We can't promise that Nike's coaching will make up for any turkey overdoses this year, but hey, the app is free -- it won't hurt to give the new feature a spin.
Daily Roundup: Lumia 525, FuelBand SE review, Engadget's 2013 tablet gift guide and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
