If you have an iPhone already, then you probably know that it does almost everything. If you didn’t know that, you know now because it truly does just about everything except print money – which is illegal, anyway.
One specific group of iPhone owners, runners, feels their iPhone doesn’t have a strong App that tracks their progress while they run. The iPhone does come with an exercise tracker, but it’s not that great, and it’s too dependent on the phone’s operating system – meaning the tracker doesn’t update until the iOS does.
Enter the new Nike+ GPS exercise tracker which became available in the App Store. If you own or have owned the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit, then you know how great the idea already is. While you run, the program tracks distance and other important stats like calories and fat burned.
The Nike+ GPS App works just like that, but some new features help you put your best foot forward. The app is not dependent on the Apple OS which means that whenever Nike makes an improvement to the software, boom, it’s done and ready to be uploaded onto your iPhone.
Nike+ GPS does the same basic concept of the Nike+ iPod – track your route and lets you update that and run data to Nikeplus.com, Nike’s Web service. The new app adds live GPS tracking while you run. Sometimes, you just have to know where you are and where you’re going all the time. It’s a valuable asset even if you’re just on the treadmill.
Another cool new feature the app comes with pushes you to do just a little bit more while you run. Nike+ GPS comes with something called “Challenge Me” that calls you out while you run. Say you’re running and you get to two miles. Challenge Me urges you to run another half a mile or more. A little motivation never hurt anyone, did it?
Of course the perks for Nike are that if more people use the Nike+ system, they get more data to collect so they can come up with more products (i.e. sneakers, shirts, etc.) to sell at Nike stores.
Nike+ GPS is now available in the App Store for $2. You have to have an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 3.1 or later. For the GPS feature, you’ll need an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4.
