Posted by Funkyguy on September 17, 2008 2:04 PM
Its not just music that Apple is interested in. If recent patents filed by Apple are any indication, then your shoes are about to get a whole lot smarter. Built-in GPS into the shoes would allow the user to be alerted when he or she approaches a point of interest. Apple claims that the user can download a list of preferred establishments (restrooms, restaurants, etc.) to the DEM database specific for the area in which the user plans to exercise (local parks, bike routes, jogging trails, etc).

When the user approaches one of the points of interest (restaurant, for example) while exercising, a sensor can issue notification that the user is within a pre-determined distance of the nearby point of interest thereby providing the user the option to stop or continue the planned excursion unabated.
Moreover, the nearby point of interest (i.e., restaurant) can also push information to the user by, for example, displaying advertisements in addition to the notification that the user is within the pre-determined distance.
While they may do all of this and more, you do still need to lift your own feet and pound the track if you want some exercise to be done. The smart shoes cant do that for you.
Apple , nike



