The December 2006 edition of Mens Health magazine includes Men's Health 2007 Tech Guide, which includes an unannounced product labeled Nike Amp+, a wrist-mounted remote for interfacing with the Nike+iPod system.
Playlist miscues can ruin a run. That's the impetus behind this wrist-mounted Bluetooth remote, which lets you browse through songs on your iPod or check your run times without fumbling with the player. It syncs up with the Nike+iPod running system via Bluetooth wireless connection, displaying information on an illuminated LED readout hidden beneath the matte-finish face of the bracelet. Just stash your iPod in your pocketno more fiddling with the sweat-slicked dial.
Interestingly, the description describes the watch as using Bluetooth technology. While the existing Nike+iPod Sport Kit uses the bluetooth 2.4 GHz frequency, Apple claims it uses a proprietary protocol.
In addition, many users have been reporting for some time that the latest versions of the iPod software for their iPod Nanos (v1.3 for Gen1, v1.1 for Gen2, available via iTunes 7) is described as having support for an "Nike+iPod Voice Kit." No other information about this mysterious product is available at this time.
It is not known when either product will be available. Mens Health claims the Amp+ MSRP as $80.
Update: According to this FAQ on Apple's website, the Voice Kits appear to simply be downloadable software localizations for the spoken feedback produced by the Nike+iPod system.
