Nike and Apple iPod working out at a Gym near you

In iPod - Apple's Best Innovation, I had talked about the growing and successful partnership between Nike and Apple:
One innovation that Apple created with another Top 20 Innovator of The Innovation Index, Nike, is Nike Plus or Nike + iPod. Apple calls it the "ultimate synthesis of sport and music: a pair of Nike+ shoes, an iPod nano, and the Nike + iPod Sport Kit." Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) are two of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index.

Nike and Apple announced another key innovation today in their quest to get more customers to use Nike + iPod as they work out in the Gym. The partnership that began with customers using Nike shoes and iPods for running and running clubs is culminating in the Gym. After all, according to Nike, runners have logged in close to 50 million miles on Nike shoes with iPod, making it the world's largest running club.

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.
At participating gyms, including 24 Hour Fitness nationwide and Virgin Active Health Clubs internationally, members will soon be able to use Nike + iPod to track their workout and log their data on www.nikeplus.com.
-- Nike + iPod will allow gym members to track progress, set goals and make challenges on www.nikeplus.com.
-- By using the www.nikeplus.com coaching tools, personal trainers now have the ability to help clients chart their progress.
-- When gym users connect their iPod nano to their computer, their workout data is sent to www.nikeplus.com through iTunes. This workout data is converted to "CardioMiles" so that users of cardio equipment can easily set goals and participate in challenges with runners and with users of other cardio equipment.
Nike + Sport Music has also been extremely popular on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) offering a wide range of playlists perfectly suited for your favorite sport.

Bottomline:

1. This expansion of the partnership between Nike and Apple will create 5% to 10% more iPod nano sales in 2009 when most gyms would have deployed the new equipment.
2. It remains to be seen on whether Apple will also make this compatible with the latest iPod touch, although this makes strategic sense. Most new iPod buyers will buy iPod touch. If Apple makes the gym equipments compatible with the iPod touch, expect 1% to 5% more sales of iPod touch in 2009.
3. Apple will see modest incremental sale of sport music on the iTunes Store - in the range of 1% to 5%.
4. Nike will see a solid upside in the Nike + iPod shoes in 2009, large enough to impact the topline revenue.

References:
Nike and Apple Press Release

The Innovation Index Reports:
Invest in The Innovation Index - Innovation Index Fund tracks The Innovation Index
The Innovation Index closes 2007 at 66% - 2007 Annual Report on the Innovation Index
Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world - 2007 Report on Top 50 Innovative Companies
Annual Report - Chapter One - Total Innovation Activity - 2006 Annual Report One
Annual Report - Chapter Two - The Top Innovator - 2006 Annual Report Two
Annual Report - Chapter Three - The Innovation Insights - 2006 Annual Report Insights
Innovation and Stock Performance Correlation - The Innovation Index and Stock Performance

Disclaimer: Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in Apple and Top Innovators of The Innovation Index.

Why Apple will hit $250 by December 2008?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index, and the number one innovator.

Here are five reasons on why we believe Apple stock will be worth $250 by December 2008:

1. Apple is grossly undervalued. Apple stock has declined much faster relative to the overall market. Once the market rebounds, Apple stock will also appreciate, albeit exponentially. We believe such a rise in Apple stock will begin in Summer 2008.

2. Apple is on track to sell at least 10 million iPhones in 2008. This we believe is on the low end of the estimate. Once Apple reduces iPhone pricing further (we believe this will happen in Summer 2008), Apple will sell closer to 12 million iPhones in 2008. Apple will also innovate the tap keyboard tool on the iPhone and provide an automatic landscape view to type in emails and text messages. This would create a bigger following for iPhone. Finally, Apple iPhone software will get better for corporate emails.

3. Apple iPod sales will build momentum in Summer 2008 and second half of 2008. With the base iPod shuffle now available for only $49, Apple iPod sales will jettison. The bold drop of $30 in price of the base iPod will create a jump of at least 15% to 20% in iPod sales in 2008 - higher than what the analysts are expecting.

4. Apple MacBook Air will be a runaway winner in laptops in 2008. Apple is poised to increase its growing marketshare in the PC business with the new MacBook Air, and the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models will also help. Before Summer 2008, Apple will reduce the entry prices on all their laptops to create hyper growth in laptop sales. On the other hand, the Mac business will come onto its own in 2008.

5. Apple iTunes Movie Rental business combined with the American Idol music are your dark horses for 2008. Apple will show sustained growth in the movie rental business, and we believe this will begin to show top line difference towards late 2008. Next generation Apple TV and iPod Touch should also help drive more sales iTunes Movie Rental.

Apple stock will be worth at least $150 by Summer 2008, will pick up steam and rise to $200 by Fall 2008, and close out the year over $250. The only caveat is the overall health of the retail economy worldwide.

Disclaimer: Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in Apple and Top Innovators of The Innovation Index.

Apple introduces new iPhone and new iTouch

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) today added new models of the iPhone(TM) and iPod(R) touch which have "double the memory, doubling the amount of music, photos and videos that customers can carry with them wherever they go." In January, in my article on:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) Kicks Off 2008 with Bold New Innovations I discussed many of the new innovations at Apple and the impact.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index.

The revolutionary iPhone now comes in a new 16GB model for $499, joining the 8GB model for $399. iPod touch now comes in a 32GB model for $499, joining the 16GB model for $399 and the 8GB model for $299.

Both iPhone and iPod touch feature Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch(TM) user interface and pioneering software that allows users to find and enjoy all their music, videos, photos and more with just a touch of their finger. All iPhone and iPod touch models include the latest software enhancements announced last month including the ability to automatically find your location using the new Maps application*; create Web Clips for your favorite websites; customize your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes(R) Movie Rentals. Both iPhone and iPod touch feature the world's most advanced mobile web browser in the world with Safari(TM) and great mobile applications including Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes.

Bottomline:
More memory! Yes, both iPhone and iPod Touch users want this, and crave for this so that they can add all the songs, music, videos and more. But Apple may have priced the 32GB iPod Touch at $499 out of the market. This was a great opportunity for Apple to reduce the price by $50 for each of the iPod Touch, and effectively price the new iPod Touch at $399 instead. iPod Touch is perhaps the best iPod to date, and considering that Apple came a bit short last quarter on the total iPods sold (versus analyst expectations), Apple may need to price iPod Touch more aggressively. On the other hand, the new iPhone is priced right at $499, however should have come with 32 GB instead to keep it consistent with the iPod Touch. Apple customers will welcome the new iPhones and iPods.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

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The Innovation Index Reports: Introducing The Innovation Index Fund - Invest into The Innovation Index
Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world - 2007 Report on Top 50 Companies
Annual Report - Chapter One - Total Innovation Activity - 2006 Annual Report One
Annual Report - Chapter Two - The Top Innovator - 2006 Annual Report Two
Annual Report - Chapter Three - The Innovation Insights - 2006 Annual Report Insights
Innovation and Stock Performance Correlation - The Innovation Index and Stock Performance

About The Innovation Index

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America.

The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007, and returned 174% over the previous five years (2002-2006). This assumes equal investment in each stock of The Innovation Index as of December 31, 2001. An average of $100 invested in The Innovation Index on December 31, 2001 returned $454 as of December 31, 2007. By comparison, $100 invested in S & P 500 returned 28% or $129, $100 invested in NASDAQ returned 34% or $136, and $100 invested in the Dow Jones Index returned 30% or $131 through December 31, 2007. The Innovation Index beats the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index by more than seven times over the past six years.

Alphabetical list of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index for 2008 and their stock ticker symbols:

3M Company - (NYSE: MMM)
Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN)
America Movil - (NYSE: AMX)
Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL)
AT&T Inc. - (NYSE: T)
Best Buy Co., Inc. - (NYSE: BBY)
Cisco Systems, Inc. - (NASDAQ: CSCO)
Costco Wholesale Corporation - (NASDAQ: COST)
eBay Inc. - (NASDAQ: EBAY)
General Electric Co. - (NYSE: GE)
Google Inc. - (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard Co. - (NYSE: HPQ)
Intel Corporation - (NYSE: INTC)
International Business Machines Corp. - (NYSE: IBM)
Merck & Co., Inc. - (NYSE: MRK)
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD)
Microsoft Corporation - (NASDAQ: MSFT)
NIKE, Inc. - (NYSE: NKE)
Research In Motion Limited - (NASDAQ: RIMM)
The Proctor & Gamble Company - (NYSE: PG)

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the Top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2008, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: The Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.

References:

http://www.apple.com

Originally published at:
Apple introduces new iPhone and new iTouch

Apple Innovations Roundup for 03-18-07

Apple Innovation News

Avid investors prepped for Apple surprises at NAB
Apple Insider - 15 Mar 2007
Investment research firm PiperJaffray on Thursday cautioned shareholders of video production firm Avid Technology , Inc . that shares could experience some short - term volatility should Apple ...

BofA echos reports of flash-based Apple sub-notebook in 2H07
Apple Insider - 14 Mar 2007
Bank of America Securities this week joined a chorus of other Wall Street firms who say they believe Apple Inc . is working on flash - based notebook and video iPod designs for a release sometime ...

Apple's multi-touch technology seen spawning "mega-platform"
Apple Insider - 13 Mar 2007
Financial experts at UBS Investment Research say they believe Apple Inc . is developing a " mega - platform " based around its recently introduced multi - touch display technology that will facilitate ...

Apple TV manufacturing ramp up to begin as early as today
MacDailyNews - 12 Mar 2007
" With last minute graphics - related issues seemingly sorted out , Apple Inc . expects to begin manufacturing ramp up of its long - awaited Apple TV wireless media hub as early as Monday , " ...

Apple job posting seeks engineer for next-gen multi-touch displays
MacDailyNews - 9 Mar 2007
" Although traditionally tight - lipped , Apple Inc . in a recent job posting has revealed plans to incorporate multi - touch display panels in more of its future products , "

Apple Innovation Blogs

Real Apple Innovation
12 Mar 2007 by Painfree
Whilst Apple Inc often claims innovation, the current rumour that it may be about to introduce a flash memory based notebook would be real innovation. Flash memory has the advantages of ruggedness and low power consumption compared to ...
Painfree - http://painfreeblog.blogspot.com/index.html

Editorial: Vista - Where's my innovation? Microsof...
16 Mar 2007 by 3DCOOL.COM
In other words, where has the innovation and imagination that went into the early Windows builds gone? There are scores of readers and critics that have pointed out the features in Vista and said, “You know, Apple has had that for a ...
3DCOOL BLOGS - http://3dcool.blogspot.com/index.html

The Innovation Index unchanged, still beats US major indices ...
16 Mar 2007 by Sanjay Dalal
Alphabetical list of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index and their stock ticker symbols: 3M Company - (NYSE: MMM) Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN) America Movil - (NYSE: AMX) Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL) ...
Creativity And Innovation Driving Business - http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/index.html

How to create and mantain the Apple Cult? - Instituto de Empresa ...
I am not an Apple fan. However, I do admit that I admire their Marketing Management and the cult they have created around the Apple brand. In this story I will describe the purchasing process of an Apple product by a fan, and how both ...
Marketing Weblog - Instituto de Empresa... - http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/

Apple Innovations Roundup for 02-27-07

Apple Innovation News

Apple TV shipping date postponed to mid-March
Good Morning Silicon Valley, CA
By Troy Wolverton.
Apple customers will have to wait a bit longer for its new Apple TV device. The company now plans to ship the gadget in mid-March. ...

Apple, Samsung, Sandisk sued over MP3
ITworld.com, MA
Little-known Texas MP3 Technologies Ltd. is taking on Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sandisk Corp. with a patent-infringement lawsuit. ...

Apple COO: iPhone on track for June launch
San Jose Business Journal, CA
Apple Inc.'s chief operating officer, Tim Cook, told conference-goers Tuesday that the iPhone is on track to release in June. ...

Mac OS infused with tools of the corporate IT trade
Macworld, CA
Apple, long a ghost in the corporate-infrastructure mainstream, is beginning to cast a shadow as IT departments discover Mac platforms that are being ...

Is Apple overhauling Logic to be a ProTools killer?
Ars Technica, MA
It might may seem like it, but it's been almost five years since Apple acquired the German company Emagic and made their Logic "music creation" software ...

Apple Attends Europe's Focus on Imaging
The Mac Observer
Apple has a large presence at Europe's largest imaging show being held in Birmingham from February 25th to 28th. Apple UK posted photos of the event on ...

Apple Innovation Blogs

Apple adds Ms. Pac-Man iPod game to iTunes Store
New iPod games have been few and far between in recent months, but Apple just added another one to its iTunes Store. Ms. Pac-Man is the game, and it's a faithful conversion of the classic arcade game. Ms. Pac-Man has four unique maze ...
digg / dig - http://digg.com/

Why Apple should license the iPhone platform
by Jon Fortt
Apple (AAPL) seems to have the most inspired answer yet, ... But that will only happen if Apple will license the touch navigation technology to other companies. ... I predict Apple has three years to decide whether to license the iPhone ...
The Utility Belt - http://blogs.business2.com/utilitybelt/

Apple TV Delayed
BREAKING NEWS I see that Apple shares are trading down in the pre-market. Driving that is the announcement that the company will delay the shipment of its Apple TV device until mid-March. Apple gave no reason why they are delaying. ...
The Digital TV Weblog - http://www.digitaltv-weblog.com/

Briefly: review; Apple FCP patent
In brief: MacNN has reviewed the Speck TechStyle-Puck case for Apple's second-generation iPod shuffle, Apple was granted a new patent for Final Cut Pro covering customized shading of a graphical user interface, Adobe CS3 is rumored to ...
MacNN The Macintosh News Network - http://www.macnn.com/

Daily Giz Wiz 257: Apple Airport Extreme
by Leo Laporte
On this edition of Turn the Tables Tuesday, a look at Apple's new Apple Airport Extreme. For more details and a chance to win the Mad Magazine "What The Heck Is It? ... Apple's new Airport Extreme, now with 802.11n. ...
TWiT.TV - Netcasts you love from people you trust - http://www.twit.tv

Vista inspires people to switch to Apple
by John Bollwitt People talked about it for years, saying that it was going to be this completely awesome OS that would rival everything Apple has been doing. This is exactly the type of thing that IT folks fear to hear, and with all the different ...
john bollwitt blog - http://audihertz.net/blog

Apple prepping updates for all Mac lines by June?
by Paul Miller - References
It all sounds plenty reasonable, there are a lot of products in Apple's flock that are getting a bit stale, but we're rather doubtful there are any sort of "tipsters well placed at Apple," spilling this info to the MacScoop folks. ...
Engadget - http://www.engadget.com

Apple To Get Into Ringtone Business
by Michael Arrington - References
This video presents a fairly compelling case that Apple will be getting into the Ringtone business with the release of the iPhone. ... My instincts tell me the studies are meaningless, though, and that Apple will sell these things as ...
TechCrunch - http://www.techcrunch.com

Apple files patent for “Cover Flow”
Apple has filed a new trademark application for “Cover Flow”. This covers “computer software for browsing the contents of a library of music or ... Apple Files ‘Cover Flow’ Trademark in US [via macnn]. Original post by Chris Scott Barr.
Gadget Addict - http://www.gadgetaddict.com

Apple and Cisco agree -- both will use iPhone name
Amazingly boring announcement from Apple and Cisco says they will both use the iPhone name and ... In full, it reads: SAN JOSE and CUPERTINO, California--February 21, 2007--Cisco and Apple today announced that they have resolved their. ...
Guardian Unlimited: Technology blog - http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/

First Apple iPhone ad spotted at the Oscars
by Norbert
During the 79th Annual Academy Awards, Apple managed to slip in a very nicely done iPhone ad. The 30-second spot includes clips from different TV shows and movies with about 30 actors (not sure about that) saying "hello" on the phone. ...
MobileGuerilla - http://www.mobileguerilla.com/

Apple Innovations Roundup for 02-21-07

Apple Innovation News

The iPhone Has Very Little New Technology: So Why Does Apple Need ...
InformationWeek, NY
Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs has been a leader in innovation. Apple didn't invent the MP3 player; they just innovated it and made it mainstream. ...

Computerworld: Apple Macs are the most flexible, compatible ...
MacDailyNews
As competition drives innovation, it’s likely that the virtualization options for Macs will keep getting better and better." ...

The Virtue of Patents
Wall Street Journal (subscription), NY
And, without that money, they will be unable to invest in other new products and technology, meaning that innovation could become the purview of a few large ...

Beware the signs that point to the winner's curse
The Age, Australia
Lacking Apple's constant innovation, Dell's model was based on selling the same stuff that everyone else was flogging but with lower costs and tailoring it ...

Apple Innovation Blogs

Oy, I'ma Mac
by bwedwards
Looks like the Apple vs PC characters are a little different in England than in the US. In my opinion, the PC guy doesn’t look as nerdy as the American version, and the Mac person looks more like a footballer than a Gen-Y hipster—he’s ...
Innovation Science - http://brentblog.typepad.com/brentblog/

The Infinite Loop response that never was
by tom
Well we've been asking Apple to change since 2004. Given Apple changed its entire computer hardware and software range to run on new chips in just a year, it seems that some green innovation from Apple is long over due. ...
Greenpeace - Making Waves - http://weblog.greenpeace.org/makingwaves/

A random guide to DRM
by Mike Mullane These can only be played on iPods, which are protected by Apple’s FairPlay system. ... can be used to view programmes, thus stifling technical innovation. ... Elsewhere, the French Parliament has passed a bill compelling Apple to open ...
MULTIMEDIA MEETS RADIO - http://multimediameetsradio.typepad.com/ebu/

The exhibition: Improving life
by oceanskies79 An innovation doesn't have to be of a grand scale, but it can neverthless contribute ... the odds as they present their designs and innovations to the world. ... I remember that I was playing on one of my uncle's Apple computer and ...
Places - http://oceanskies79places.blogspot.com/index.html

Up Close and Personal with the SupaCam DVi
by Nate ... two events may have been the development and future release of the Apple iPhone. ... for unknown innovation – is overwhelmed by the high-rollers of the industry. ... which is something the already-extra-hyped Apple iPhone can’t say. ...
ShieldZone Covered - http://www.shieldzone.com/blog

Peanuts? Soda? iPod? Mexican Airlines rents iPods

Mexican low-cost Airlines Volaris began renting out iPods for free on Feb 8, 2007, and is planning to charge about $5 per iPod rental per flight soon.

Volaris chose the 30 Gigabyte iPods to rent to the airline passengers. Volaris made the entrepreneurial decision to simply buy many iPods and begin renting the iPods to passengers.

"We're the first to use iPod's. We like it because no one else has it," said public relations officer Alfonso Collantes for Volaris.

According to the press release, the iPods are packed with Mexican TV shows and popular music, but the airline plans to load on U.S. sitcoms and other music genres. Also, the iPod's are not integrated into seat-back video screens, like the U.S. carriers are planning.

Insight:

There is a real market for iPod rentals across many industries. Airlines market is prime owing to the total time passengers have during the flight. Airports could be next. Amtrak and Bus Transportation services are also the low hanging fruit for iPod rentals. Perhaps coffee houses such as Starbucks may also begin the iPod rental service in the near future. Even libraries can begin an iPod rental service, and create a profitable cash flow.

For the complete story, click here.

Apple Innovations Roundup for 02-19-07

Apple Innovation News

Rising chorus against DRM
p2pnet.net, Canada
That week, which began with Apple CEO Steve Jobs calling on the industry to drop DRM and concluded with the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC), ...

The Future of Computing: the Flash Key
IT Management, CT
And Apple owns the portable device market and is known for their innovation. In the upcoming years, we will be seeing much more integration between our ...

Three books look at effects of egos on businesses
Miami Herald, FL
The result is that Apple, even with its comparatively small share of the personal computer market, is its industry's clear leader in innovation. ...

Apple to re-enter the sub-notebook market
Apple Insider - 16 Feb 2007
A tiny sub - notebook on its way from Apple Inc . is expected to re - establish the Mac maker as a leader in the field of compact computing while drawing parallels to the legendary PowerBook ...

Apple security update patches iChat, disk image flaws
Apple Insider - 16 Feb 2007
Apple Inc . on Thursday issued a security update that stomps out four critical flaws within its Mac OS X operating system , all of which were first revealed last month as part of the " Month ...

Apple may turn to induction for iPod docking, charging
Apple Insider - 15 Feb 2007
Apple Inc . is attempting to develop a revolutionary dock connector for handheld consumer electronics gadgets that will allow the devices to be docked in any orientation and , in some cases , ...

DigiTimes reiterates claim of 15.4-inch Apple 'MacBooks' in Q2
Apple Insider - 15 Feb 2007
A technology publication situated in Taiwan is reiterating its claim that Apple Inc . next quarter will expand its consumer line of ' MacBook ' notebooks to include a 15.4 - inch model.Citing ...

ATI Radeon X2800XT with CrossFire rumored for Apple's next Mac Pro
Apple Insider - 14 Feb 2007
The centerpiece of ATI's next - generation graphics card line may make its first appearance as part of an upgrade to Apple Inc . ' s Mac Pro line of professional desktop computers , according ...


Apple Innovation Blogs

The iPhone Highlights The Difference Between Invention And Innovation
by mmasnick
Over at Computerworld, Mike Elgan has written up a great piece highlighting how the iPhone is a fantastic piece of innovation that really has very little new in it. As we pointed out when we questioned Apple's claim to 200 patents ...
Techdirt Corporate Intelligence:... - http://news.techdirt.com/news/wireless/

Make way for music
by Julie Bryce
For most of us, our first experience with digital music was with Apple’s iTunes and some version of the Apple iPod. Given the history of technology and the trend that competition encourages innovation, is that a good thing? ...
Red Hat Magazine - http://www.redhatmagazine.com

Innovation in wireless handsets: a David and Goliath story (?)
by Jorge Fernandez
While calling Apple a ‘David’ these days is a bit of an understatement, ... The WSJ ran a story last week that detailed how Apple and Steve Jobs were able to turn our ... Picker could design a new course called “Apple and the Law”? ...
Network Industries - http://picker.typepad.com/network_industries/

The cost of being cool
by Dennis Howlett
I was discussing this with Scott Converse, the only ex-Apple exec with whom I’ve ever spoken. Scott roomed with Steve Jobs at college and worked at Apple for 10 years so I guess he has a unique insight into both ... Innovation. Share This.
AccMan - http://www.accmanpro.com

GMP 3GSM Wrapup
by Mark McQueen
Apple had no formal presence at 3GSM although this is surprising given ... The general perception of handset competitors is that the hype surrounding Apple is a ... There was a lack of hardware innovation as discussed earlier in this ...
Wellington Financial Blog - News,... - http://www.wellingtonfund.com/blog