I am very happy with my Nike+Ipod Sports kit. It is surprisingly adequate and a good example of technology mashups that really work. I have also mashed up something. Instead of using Nike shoes - which I’m supposed to - I have dug out a little hole in my Asics Kayano shoes about the same size as the Nike+Ipod sensor. This has worked out great - at least so far.
Apparently, Apple wants to restrict runners from choosing shoes that fit their feet and clothing suitable for our needs. Rather, we should pick shoes and clothing that fit our Ipod. Apple have recently filed for a patent:
In this patent, Apple makes no attempt to hide the fact that it’s essentially an attempt to enforce something like DRM on the pairing of clothing with technology. The company specifically cites the Nike+iPod system as an example of a system that works with a specially-made shoe: Nike+ shoes that have a little crevice cut out under the sole that allows you to place the transmitter inside the shoe, which wirelessly sends data to your iPod about your walk or run. “However, some people have taken it upon themselves to remove the sensor from the special pocket of the Nike+.TM. shoe and place it at inappropriate locations (shoelaces, for example) or place it on non-Nike+.TM. model shoes,” writes Apple.
via ars technica
If this is really the case, it is a very bad idea. Such a DRM-like design will beg to be passively and actively resisted. It is likely that people will develop ways to go around such a locking. I almost find it insulting that designers and developers try to fully control how we use technologies. It seems so old-fashioned and hopelessly determinist.
We can only hope that Apple are actually trying to make cool features for us to use:
For example, one embodiment could make use of a sensor within the garment itself in order to provide more data to the user, such as the rate of wear of a running shoe. “[I]n many cases, a runner will not notice that a running shoe has been worn down to the point where crucial support (arch support, for example) has eroded thereby increasing the likelihood of injury. In this way, by providing a notification that one or both of the running shoes should be replaced, the runner may be better able to avoid injuries related to outworn equipment,” writes Apple. And, if a GPS unit is involved, then the system could also track location and elevation data in order to provide more detailed statistics, or it could give on-the-spot information to the user, like the location of nearby restaurants.
via ars technica
That would indeed be very cool (even though I rarely visit restaurants during a run). It will also be something to study as a form of participatory surveillance in geographic space - something which I am occupied with at the moment.
Surveillance
