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Just Fuel It Nike Fans Get Exercised Over FuelBan
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Nike (NKE) has been known to draw a crowd when a new line of basketball shoes hits stores, but now the athletic footwear and apparel giant is turning heads with a high-tech wristband.
Nike+ FuelBand wont hit the market for several more weeks, but the sultan of swoosh already knows it has a hit. The $149 cutting-edge bracelets sold out quickly during two short-lived online buying opportunities over the weekend, and those pre-orders wont be delivered until Feb. 22.
Consumers fearing that the scarce FuelBands will be in short supply next month have taken to eBay where several units are selling for more than double their retail value. This isnt some phantom figure of what greedy sellers are hoping to get and never do. Yes, there have been several completed transactions on the auction site north of $300.
What is the Nike+ FuelBand? What will it mean for Nike as a business and for you as a consumer? Allow me to take you by the wrist -- the way that Nike wants to later this year -- to unravel the FuelBand technology.
These Are No Silly Bandz
Fashion trends for wristbands in recent years have typically steered toward the cheap and colorful. Theres the charitable allure of Livestrong rubber bracelets. Theres the comic charm of the oddly shaped Silly Bandz for kids.
Designer wristwatches are surprisingly popular these days. Just check out the heady growth lately at Fossil (FOSL) with its proprietary and licensed timepieces.
However, folks must be expecting a lot out of Nikes $149 FuelBand if theyre selling out quickly and being bid up in the aftermarket.
In a nutshell, Nike+ FuelBand is a mobile health wrist-hugger that tracks any and all forms of physical activity. From walking to the kitchen to going for a morning jog to hitting the dance floor, Nikes bracelet features a three-axis accelerometer that accurately scores your every move.
The stylish yet black bands feature an LED screen that measures time, calories burned, steps taken, and NikeFuel.
NikeFuel? Oh, right. NikeFuel.
Fill Er Up
NikeFuel is a proprietary metric which the footwear giant is calling the ultimate measure of activity – it boils down a days physical activity to a four-digit score.
Whats in a number? Well, Nike is hoping that FuelBand wearers will go about setting daily NikeFuel goals. This wont be merely a number on the wrist. The Nike+ FuelBand connects wirelessly to Apple (AAPL) iPhones, sharing data for a more intensive breakdown of your days performance. (Nike and Apple have been partnering up for mobile since the Nike+ technology was launched in cahoots with the iPod, though its hard to imagine Nike ignoring rival smartphone platforms in the future.)
Nike isnt the first company to embrace mobile health. FitBit wireless trainers and the Jawbone UP band arealready on the market. Theyre also cheaper than the FuelBNike getand. However, the Nike brand, its global appeal, and access to celebrity athlete endorsers will make FuelBand a hot gadget this year.
Money sweats
Altruistically, Nike wants a healthier you. If you begin monitoring your daily NikeFuel score, turning the monitoring of your physical activity into sport should encourage you to be more active.
Obviously Nike stands to benefit here, and not just through the one-time sales of these slick wristbands. A more active lifestyle will find you going through more Nike sneakers, shirts, and shorts.
The sweat-trickle-down theory wont stop at Nike. Investors can already begin to smoke out the winners if Nikes wristband turns the world into more active exercisers:
Cloud-based event organizer Active Network (ACTV) will register more people for local 5K runs and related athletic endurance events.
Even rival footwear makers will get in on the fun, even if its a shionable contrast to the LED swoosh on the FuelBand.
Nike has a real shot to get consumers to avoid cutting corners when it comes to physical activity. Now it just needs to make sure that it can crank out enough of these bracelets to meet demand.
I was lucky enough to get in on the second pre-order event this past weekend, and Im certainly not going to flip my FuelBand on eBay. That wouldnt do much to elevate my NikeFuel score.
Longtime Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not own shares in any stocks in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, lululemon athletica, and Under Armour. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Under Armour, Nike, The Active Network, Apple, and lululemon athletica. Motley Fool newsletter services have also recommended creating a diagonal call position in Nike and a bull call spread position in Apple.
Tagged:accelerometer,Calorie Counting,CalorieCounting,EBay,exercise monitor,ExerciseMonitor,Nike+ FuelBand,Nike+Fuelband,NikeFuel,wristband
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dice6060The same crowd who rioted to get the retro Jordans will be busting down the doors to spend their welre checks on this junk.
lconssoJust another gimmick to restrain you from using good situational awareness. Dont step out in traffic wearing this.
jokinok1Why anyone in their right mind would pay more than $10.00 for a pair of stupid looking tennis shoes is beyond me. And you certainly dont need a $149.00 wrist band to tell you when you have exercised enough.
edv1125maybe if you did more exercise than just walking around walmart to find your $10 sneakers you would know the benefit of paying more.
1dallstarif you need a band to tell you your not doing enough exercise, then me tell say this, you dont do enough exercise
24/7 Wall St. Top Analyst Calls of the Week (T, ADP. BBY, CHK, DNDN, ETFC, JCP, JPM, GS, MS, JEF, KLAC, LIFE, MCD, KORS, NFLX, VPRT, ZNGA)
24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (BBY, SD, ALL, JCP, KIM, AEP, CVX, D, F, HON, PG, SOA, CPHD, INFI, NRGY, RVBD)
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Nike (NKE) has been known to draw a crowd when a new line of basketball shoes hits stores, but now the athletic footwear and apparel giant is turning heads with a high-tech wristband.
Nike+ FuelBand wont hit the market for several more weeks, but the sultan of swoosh already knows it has a hit. The $149 cutting-edge bracelets sold out quickly during two short-lived online buying opportunities over the weekend, and those pre-orders wont be delivered until Feb. 22.
Consumers fearing that the scarce FuelBands will be in short supply next month have taken to eBay where several units are selling for more than double their retail value. This isnt some phantom figure of what greedy sellers are hoping to get and never do. Yes, there have been several completed transactions on the auction site north of $300.
What is the Nike+ FuelBand? What will it mean for Nike as a business and for you as a consumer? Allow me to take you by the wrist -- the way that Nike wants to later this year -- to unravel the FuelBand technology.
These Are No Silly Bandz
Fashion trends for wristbands in recent years have typically steered toward the cheap and colorful. Theres the charitable allure of Livestrong rubber bracelets. Theres the comic charm of the oddly shaped Silly Bandz for kids.
Designer wristwatches are surprisingly popular these days. Just check out the heady growth lately at Fossil (FOSL) with its proprietary and licensed timepieces.
However, folks must be expecting a lot out of Nikes $149 FuelBand if theyre selling out quickly and being bid up in the aftermarket.
In a nutshell, Nike+ FuelBand is a mobile health wrist-hugger that tracks any and all forms of physical activity. From walking to the kitchen to going for a morning jog to hitting the dance floor, Nikes bracelet features a three-axis accelerometer that accurately scores your every move.
The stylish yet black bands feature an LED screen that measures time, calories burned, steps taken, and NikeFuel.
NikeFuel? Oh, right. NikeFuel.
Fill Er Up
NikeFuel is a proprietary metric which the footwear giant is calling the ultimate measure of activity – it boils down a days physical activity to a four-digit score.
Whats in a number? Well, Nike is hoping that FuelBand wearers will go about setting daily NikeFuel goals. This wont be merely a number on the wrist. The Nike+ FuelBand connects wirelessly to Apple (AAPL) iPhones, sharing data for a more intensive breakdown of your days performance. (Nike and Apple have been partnering up for mobile since the Nike+ technology was launched in cahoots with the iPod, though its hard to imagine Nike ignoring rival smartphone platforms in the future.)
Nike isnt the first company to embrace mobile health. FitBit wireless trainers and the Jawbone UP band arealready on the market. Theyre also cheaper than the FuelBNike getand. However, the Nike brand, its global appeal, and access to celebrity athlete endorsers will make FuelBand a hot gadget this year.
Money sweats
Altruistically, Nike wants a healthier you. If you begin monitoring your daily NikeFuel score, turning the monitoring of your physical activity into sport should encourage you to be more active.
Obviously Nike stands to benefit here, and not just through the one-time sales of these slick wristbands. A more active lifestyle will find you going through more Nike sneakers, shirts, and shorts.
The sweat-trickle-down theory wont stop at Nike. Investors can already begin to smoke out the winners if Nikes wristband turns the world into more active exercisers:
Cloud-based event organizer Active Network (ACTV) will register more people for local 5K runs and related athletic endurance events.
Even rival footwear makers will get in on the fun, even if its a shionable contrast to the LED swoosh on the FuelBand.
Nike has a real shot to get consumers to avoid cutting corners when it comes to physical activity. Now it just needs to make sure that it can crank out enough of these bracelets to meet demand.
I was lucky enough to get in on the second pre-order event this past weekend, and Im certainly not going to flip my FuelBand on eBay. That wouldnt do much to elevate my NikeFuel score.
Longtime Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not own shares in any stocks in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, lululemon athletica, and Under Armour. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Under Armour, Nike, The Active Network, Apple, and lululemon athletica. Motley Fool newsletter services have also recommended creating a diagonal call position in Nike and a bull call spread position in Apple.
Tagged:accelerometer,Calorie Counting,CalorieCounting,EBay,exercise monitor,ExerciseMonitor,Nike+ FuelBand,Nike+Fuelband,NikeFuel,wristband
Counting,CalorieCounting,EBay,exercise monitor,ExerciseMonitor,Nike+ FuelBand,Nike+Fuelband,NikeFuel,wristband [PluginType] =>1 [Debug] =>1 [EncodeURL] =>0 [CacheTime] =>1800 [CacheFailureTime] =>[CacheBuster] =>[NoCache] =>0 [Timeout] =>1 [Filter] =>[ProxyGET] =>0 [ProxyPOST] =>0 [ProxyCOOKIE] =>0 [ProxyREFERER] =>0 [Prefix] =>[Method] =>get [Object] =>)-->
Monica SyAre you single? Are you looking for your y BBW for love and dating?
&12304; BBWChats.com &12305;is the right place for you to join. The culb is the No. 1 dating site dedicated to BBW, SSBBW, BHM adult singles seeking love, friendship or marriage. No hesitation to find your true love!
dice6060The same crowd who rioted to get the retro Jordans will be busting down the doors to spend their welre checks on this junk.
lconssoJust another gimmick to restrain you from using good situational awareness. Dont step out in traffic wearing this.
jokinok1Why anyone in their right mind would pay more than $10.00 for a pair of stupid looking tennis shoes is beyond me. And you certainly dont need a $149.00 wrist band to tell you when you have exercised enough.
edv1125maybe if you did more exercise than just walking around walmart to find your $10 sneakers you would know the benefit of paying more.
1dallstarif you need a band to tell you your not doing enough exercise, then me tell say this, you dont do enough exercise
24/7 Wall St. Top Analyst Calls of the Week (T, ADP. BBY, CHK, DNDN, ETFC, JCP, JPM, GS, MS, JEF, KLAC, LIFE, MCD, KORS, NFLX, VPRT, ZNGA)
24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (BBY, SD, ALL, JCP, KIM, AEP, CVX, D, F, HON, PG, SOA, CPHD, INFI, NRGY, RVBD)
.zillow-widgetclear:both;background:fff;/border:1px solid dee7e7;/border-top:3px solid 000;color:000;font-mily:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;font-size:82%;text-align:left.zillow-widget h1 color: 707678;font-size:18font-weight: normal;margin-bottom: 0.rate-table-alt border-color: 000000 DDDDDD DDDDDD;/border-top: 5px solid 000000;/.rate-table-alt .widget-header background: none repeat scroll 0 0 F0F4F5;padding: 10position: relative;border-bottom: medium none.partner-message color: 999999;/font-size: 0.8em;/margin:5px 0 0 3.partner-message span background: url( no-repeat scroll 0 1px transparent;display: inline-block;text-indent: -9999width: 50
.followHead background-color:F0F4F5; border-top:3px solid 000000; color:707678; font-size:18padding:4px 0 4px 10zoom:1;clear:both.follow .spot padding-left:31
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