Sports and fitness giant Nike may have made the internal decision to discontinue the fabulous FuelBand hardware in favor of exploring health and fitness based software solutions, but that doesn't mean the company has abandoned the thriving community it has worked so hard to amass. The FuelBand will be sorely missed by many who used the wearable on a daily basis, but NikeFuel, the universal method that the company invented to measure and incentivize user activity, is still going strong, and can actually be swapped out for real-life Nike products at a secret branded vending machine.
Over the weekend, it emerged that Nike was essentially closing off its FuelBand endeavors, laying off a large quantity of the project's workforce in the process. Given the close relationship between Nike and Apple, and with the so-called iWatch on the horizon, there was always going to be a conflict of interests, but with Nike having calmed its project down to a virtual halt, the stage looks set for the iWatch to launch. However, a new report suggests that Nike and Apple are to collaborate in the creation of an apparently separate "smart band," which will feature gesture controls and supposedly launch in the fall.
Nike is renowned for its prowess in making premium sportswear, but has also showed in more recent times that it is unafraid to delve into the world of technology. Close ties with Apple have certainly helped matters, and with the FuelBand SE - the company's second-gen wrist-worn activity logger - having recently been introduced with a plethora of color options, this push shows no sign of slowing down. An interesting tidbit from the DigiTimes suggests the company could be taking things a step further, plotting a new smartwatch for release as soon as the first half of next year.
Nike and Apple, as many of you will know, are very closely tied. The fruit company's CEO is on the sportswear specialist's board of directors, and many of Nike's tech ventures have encircled the iOS device range. FuelBand, the wrist-worn fitness and activity gadget, is only officially supported with a companion app for those on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and the relationship between two of the most influential entities in their respective fields seems to blossom increasingly with each year. Following Apple's release of the iPhone 5s in gold back in September - an unprecedented move for the company's iconic smartphone - Nike has followed suit, offering a sleek, rose gold color option to the newly updated FuelBand SE. Check it out in all its glory after the break.
Nike promised at their FuelBand SE launch event that their current FuelBand app will be getting a drastic makeover, and today, they’ve fulfilled that promised and have released the updated FuelBand app for iPhone, taking it to version 2.0. Accompanied with the update is the release of the brand new Nike+ Move app, which got stage time at the iPhone 5s event back in September. More details as well as direct download links can be found right here.
Whenever a company updates a successful and well used product line with a new model it generally causes consumers to consider their position. Will their existing hardware and software combination become redundant? Will the company in question continue to offer support and period updates going forward, or will they need to bite the bullet and invest in the new product? All of those questions must have been going through the head of existing Nike FuelBand users when the newer FuelBand SE model was announced not that long ago. Nike has now confirmed that existing original FuelBand users will not be left behind and will indeed get a host of new features when the second-generation wristband launches on November 6.
Earlier on this month, we heard that Nike was planning a special event on October 15th to announce the details of its second-gen Nike+ FuelBand, and today, the world's most famous seller of sports and fitness-wear has come through with the specifics. The new wristband, which is called the FuelBand SE, arrives in a multitude of different colors, and if you thought the first-gen model was pretty cool, well Nike has, in typical Nike fashion, just made things a little bit cooler.
Nike may be renowned as one of the most influential makers and manufactures of sportswear and such, but with those close ties to Apple, the company has delved frequently into the technology industry. From watches to pedometers, we've seen a bunch of gadgetry released by the Washington County-based outfit, but with the FuelBand, it does feel to many as though the company has finally arrived. Now, its successor looks just a couple of weeks away from announcement, with an official event scheduled to be taking place on October 15th.
Nike's FuelBand has become a popular accessory to the health and fitness conscious, and following a successful early 2012 launch, it looks as though the sports specialist is preparing a second generation of the accessory. According to information gathered by GearLive, the next Nike+ FeulBand could contain a heart rate / pulse monitor, improved display, and Bluetooth 4.0, among other features.
Companies like Nike are showing an extreme will to embrace the mobile landscape and bring forward the benefits of fitness to users around the world by using accessories like the FuelBand that wirelessly transmit captured data back to a dedicated app. General day-to-day activities can be recorded and turned into a fitness challenge. Nike themselves have just brought out a great update to the official FuelBand for iPhone app that introduces some new social sharing features, so it makes perfect sense that jailbroken users should also receive some Nike based love with the NikeNotification+ tweak.
