iPod and the magic shoes

Last week Nike began shipping the shoes and doohickies that work with iPod nano. Here's the idea: you make a playlist (or buy one from Apple, heh, heh) to accompany your running (or in my out-of-condition condition, walking).

You wear the magic shoes that contain an electronic pedometer that tells your ipod how fast and how far you're going. Tap the iPod, and a pleasant voice tells you how much time you've been running, how far you've gone, etc. Set goals by distance, time, or calories burned.

It works. It's fun. And, it turns out you don't need the Nike shoes. You can buy the transmitter and receiver separately and here's out how to hack the transmitter onto any shoes you own. (hint: velcro).

Lots of insidious marketing angles here: you can upload your workout logs to a server on Nike and find virtual work-out support groups--and give up lots of private data that may some day be subpoena'd by an insurance company. Just saying. And, of course, the iTunes store has a gazillion workout playlists to sell you.

Me, I'm staying clear of that stuff. But loving the basic product.