22 5 / 2011
Nike+ GPS
Today I invested $2 in the Nike+ GPS app from the App Store, and I can tell already that it’s going to revolutionize my summer running. It’s incredibly well designed - starts with a home screen, upon which you can view your total miles recorded and associated stats (avg. mile time, calories burned, etc.), and can also challenge yourself to run farther, faster, and longer than you have before. While running, it gives you occasional updates on your distance and speed, and it keeps a record of all runs’ times, speeds, etc. In one of the coolest features (in my book), it utilizes the iPhone’s GPS to keep track of the path you’ve taken, and shows your speed (indicated by color) along your path in the run’s history. Pretty incredible.
My first run of the summer, today, was the first I recorded using the app, and I feel like this is the beginning of something big. I’m well aware that I’m very concerned with statistics and metrics as they relate to my personal accomplishments (the Ballsy download count, for example, is currently at 219), and I think this makes this the perfect app for me. Though I also enjoy running just for the way it makes me feel, I’m super excited to see my mile count rise throughout the summer, and challenge my performance from earlier workouts. For two dollars, that’s a lot to look forward to. (When I say $2, I am neglecting the inevitable purchase of an armband to make running with my phone a comfortable procedure… that’s a drawback I guess.)
Nike has obviously designed the app with motivation in mind. I’d be curious to see how many people would run more (as I may), just to improve their stats; Nike+ appears to be a fitness social network as well as just a tracking mechanism, so it’s easy to see friends’ accomplishments and use them for inspiration. I’m not a terribly competitive person in that way, but I like to be proud of what I do, and this makes it possible to showcase my miles for myself and others.
It’s a great idea - obviously a good commercial plan, but really doing something which will make people’s lives better as well. As a software developer in the making, I can’t help but think that I’d love to work on a project like this: a really fun concept with a smooth implementation, the likelihood of making bank for its creators, and a positive effect on the world (enhancing the fitness of the masses, in this case). Good stuff.
(Source: itunes.apple.com)
