Nike Plus launches using Adobe Flash Player
DIGG IT!
9
Comments
Published
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
at
12:35 PM
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A great
Some simple things to think about:
1. Works on 95% of internet connected machines today using Adobe Flash Player without an installation or update.
2. Works seamlessly across browsers.
3. Cinematic, interactive, and functional.
There is a ton of news today on Microsoft Silverlight but I have yet to see a real customer ship anything like this. Shoot even Microsoft (1,2,3,4) continues to choose Adobe Flash on their own website.
Nike created this independent of Adobe and they chose Flash because it just works and works well. Check out the site when you get a chance. You might also check out the Microsoft ForeFront site too, it is too funny, Stopping Ningas.
Here is a bit from the Nike press release:
Nike and Apple are working with major gym equipment manufacturers such as Life Fitness, Precor, Star Trac and Technogym to make their cardio equipment Nike + iPod compatible so health club members can easily track workouts on cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes and stair climbers. Nike + iPod users will simply plug in their iPod nano into the equipment at the start of their workout to automatically record their progress. Users can then connect their iPod with their computer to upload the workout to www.nikeplus.com.
"The Nike + iPod experience revolutionized running. Now we’re revolutionizing the gym cardio experience,” said Trevor Edwards, Nike’s Vice President of Global Brand and Category Management. “We’re enabling people who go to the gym an opportunity to set goals, track progress, and compete in challenges with their friends and with other members of www.nikeplus.com. It’s a groundbreaking tool for people who want to maximize their workouts.”
It looks like the Nike+ipod will allow gym equipment to upload workout data to nikeplus.com. End users will see their workout progress in a Flash based RIA.
cheers,
Ted :)
Honestly Ted give it a rest. Do you really think that any of us Flash/Flex developers are buying into your hate for Silverlight? That Nike site is fantastic, but it wasn't launched yesterday either. In fact I would bet that we were still calling Silverlight "Sparkle" when that site first launched. On a day were Microsoft and Nokia announce that they are going to be putting Silverlight onto phones all you can do is tell us that Nike is using Flash? Tell me something I didn't know. I used to really respect and regard you as one of the top developers in the Flash community. And would come to your site for great tips and tricks and helpful hints. But you've turned this blog into your dumping ground for Silverlight. We all know that Flash still wins over Silverlight, but remember how much Flash sucked at version 2? Microsoft maybe playing catch up, but they will sure cover more ground faster then Macromedia/Adobe ever did.
The Nike+ site is a great site, but it's been live for about 1 1/2 years.
A new version was released today. Press release via Nike.com
http://www.nikebiz.com/media/pr/2008/03/04_NikePlus.html
Ted
Julian,
I hear ya regarding SL. Sorry if it rubs you the wrong way. The fact remains that there is a ton of BS going on regarding messaging around SL. I guess I am one of the few to say anything about it.
Also Flash Lite has been on Nokia for over 4 years now. Not in development but actually shipping on the devices.
Maybe I am too close to the internals on this RIA front.
The Nike site was updated to support workout uploads today. I thought the whole thing was new. New to me.
Ted :)
sad fact: some of my ex-coworkers thought those Microsoft pages using Flash was actually Silverlight. ugh.
i'm sorry, but some of these silverlight sites i've seen look like those old flash sites from the late 90's. does anyone remember the rotating orbs!? lol. ahh good times.
Who cares if it's completely new or not. The overall message regarding FlashPlayer/SL is right on point, and is valid. Thanks for the link and thoughts Ted!
"Shoot even Microsoft (1,2,3,4) continues to choose Adobe Flash on their own website."
It looks like they are running Silverlight on the Beta of the new Microsoft "Download Center" - I just got asked to sign up from an in-page advert.
Awesome! Omar Gonzalez, Hasan Otuome, and I were all talking about stuff like this for Nike Plus.
I developed a free tool called Running Tracker for Nike+iPod kit. It permits to analyze and to compare the workouts in details.
http://runningtracker.tuxfamily.org/blog