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Nike recently launched the futuristic self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers, with the Android app going live just last week. Our comments section was full of people discussing dystopian futures with rebellious footwear, and they didn't have to wait long — the shoes seem to be bricking during the initial software update itself.
Has keeping track of battery levels on your smartphone, fitness tracker, headphones, computer, tablet, and toothbrush become too easy for you? Worry not — come February 17th, and you can charge your shoes too, with the self-lacing Nike Adapt BB sneakers. These smart shoes were announced last month, and their companion Android app is now live on the Play Store.
Ever since Marty McFly put on those self-lacing trainers in Back to the Future Part II, we've been waiting for them to become a reality. Nike's first attempt at such a sneaker in 2016 was the HyperAdapt 1.0, which laced automatically when you put your feet in. The 2019 Nike Adapt BB is the next generation.
Google Express still isn't the retail juggernaut Google would probably like it to be, but it's also far from hurting for partner stores. Every few weeks we update you with the latest stores to come on board, and it's rare that we don't see several dozen new faces. But while the numbers are there, we're at the point now where the majority of these new partners are companies on the smaller side — with odds better than not that you haven't even heard of most of them. This time, though, we've got at least one brand with some heavy-duty name recognition, as Nike begins Google Express sales.
Nike+ Run Club, or NRC for short, is a popular running companion app that tracks your runs and and compares your data with that of other users (get it? Run Club?). With its latest update, NRC has become considerably nicer to use for owners of compatible Wear OS devices, who can now leave their phones at home during workouts.
I've never been much of a runner, so I've only taken my phone with me for a lap around the neighborhood a handful of times. When I did, it felt Runtastic. But the Nike+ Running app has been another option for people looking to set goals and track their progress.
The Nike+ system of sports trackers actually pre-dates Android, or at least the consumer version of the operating system. For a long time Nike withheld Nike+ apps and accessories from Android and Google Play, though they've loosened up a bit in the last few years and posted a bunch of fitness and sports support apps. The latest Nike+ app gets right to the heart of what the company is all about: selling stuff.
Sneaker addiction is serious business. My current collection stands at about 20 pairs, but they're all regularly designed and priced shoes — nothing fancy. And I know how hardcore some people can get about their sneakers, but I had no idea it could go so far as to cost them hundreds or thousands of dollars for a pair of shoes until I heard NPR's Planet Money What The LeBron episode. Well, Nike lovers who use Android devices need not worry about feeding their addiction anymore, just about financially funding it.
The more seat bound and satisfied among our readers may be surprised to know that there are no shortage of Android apps out there that want to track how you run. Actually, maybe not. All that time spent on the computer probably means a greater likelihood of running across this post and the many like it than someone who's out running. Either way, the Nike+ app has managed to reach version 1.7 without spraining something, and it has picked up a few new features along the way.
The Nike+ Running app has crossed mile marker 1.6, and it's joined by a few other racers. Surprisingly, all of them manage to run in sync.
Look, we realize that some companies don't have the resources to develop apps for multiple platforms, and in some cases (some very limited cases) it makes sense to publish on the mobile OS that has 12% of the market. But Nike isn't one of those companies. And so it still kind of miffs us when they take two years to bring a sports app like Golf 360 to the Play Store.
Ever since Nike introduced its FuelBand wearable fitness tracker last year, there's been a rather loud and unsatisfied cry from users of the biggest mobile operating system on the planet: "Where the hell is the Android version?" Even while competitors like Fitbit Jawbone's UP have embraced Android, Nike FuelBand has remained an iOS exclusive, and Nike has made a point of explicitly stating that there's no Android version of the app in development. A new interview from Pocket-lint sheds some light on why.
[New App] Official Nike+ App Finally Arrives On Android
Look at you - going for a run without a gizmo to track your progress and bother your friends on Facebook. Lame, right? Well grab your sneakers, because
Look at you - going for a run without a gizmo to track your progress and bother your friends on Facebook. Lame, right? Well grab your sneakers, because the Nike+ app had landed in the Play Store, and it's free.