Whatever happened to Nike+Philips?

Nike was once looked to as a potential end-user for the interactive textile community that could help us gain momentum by bringing new technologies into the mainstream. Aside from backpacks, where is Nike integrating these technologies?

Is there a specific reason that Nike never came out with the Philips-partnered jacket we saw at SmartFabrics 2005? What about the rest of the collaboration? The website www.nike-philips.com is a clear divergence with only links going separate directions (to either Nike or Philips).





Are there lessons the community can take away from their direction shift?

"Market Leader?"

Is there enough of an interactive textiles market in place to identify a market leader? Since only a handfull of companies actually have a product "on shelves" and high degree of segmentation it can be like comparing apples and oranges...Even still, it could be fun to look at...


Is it Textronics?



Textronics is among a small group of companies that has a total product solution that can be bought currently (sports bra and running shirt for HR monitoring).


Is it Eleksen?


The component supplier is realizing a fair amount of success in supplying interfaces for iPod-related products. Are they the "foot in the door" for our community or will new interfaces such as the iPhone make such products a "fad?"

What do you think? Who am I leaving out?