Sports equipment and accessory maker Nike has expanded its line of iPod accessories from its Nike + iPod Sport Kit—which offers a shoe-based sensor to monitor your workout—to include a Nike C.O.R.E. backback with integrated iPod controls, and a new wrist-based Amp+ Bluetooth remote for iPod.
The Nike C.O.R.E. backpack has been available for a bit, offering extensive personalization options (right down to the color of the Nike swoosh). New among the options, however, is an iPod Upgrade, which enables users to change volume, skip between tracks, and pause music using buttons integrated into the backpack’s strap. A special media pocket which keeps the iPod tucked out of view and hides the somewhat substantial 30-pin dock the system uses to connect to the iPod. The backpack supports Apple’s standard iPod and iPod nanos—sorry, no mini or shuffle support. Headphones can be plugged into the backpack’s strap, and a special pocket hides away the headphones when not in use. By the time you’re gone configuring, an iPod-capable C.O.R.E. backpack will run at least $105…and that’s if you leave off security zippers.
The Amp+ remote is a wristband remote which uses Bluetooth to control an iPod safely stashes away in a pocket, enabling users to change volume and tracks—as well as check run times—without having to fiddle with the iPod. The Amp+ integrates with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, and will reportedly cost $80 when it hits stores in late 2006 or early 2007.
