Apple poaches brains behind Nike Fuelband and Flyknit shoes to head up iWatch team?

Apple’s rumoured iWatch could well feature fitness technology capabilities (image courtesy of PC Advisor)

Following the news in August that  fitness industry consultant Jay Blahnik, who previously worked with Nike in developing the FuelBand health monitor, had joined Apple to presumably work on the company’s much-rumoured iWatch device, another former Nike employee is apparently now heading on the way to Cupertino.

Ben Shaffer, the studio director responsible for Innovation Kitchen – Nike’s research and development lab where new products are thought up, will be joining Apple soon to boost its growing wearable technology team.

Whilst under Shaffer’s leadership the company was named by Fast Company as 2013’s most innovative company and the studio most recently produced the Nike Fuel Band and Flyknit shoes.

It has also been reported that vein mapping firm AccuVein and the developers of glucose level monitoring device C8 MediSensors and Senseonics have also both lost employees to Apple.

Wearables are popular among Apple executives with the likes of CEO Tim Cook seen sporting technology around the company headquarters.

Former senior vice president Bob Mansfield is a known admirer of wearables and his new position working on “special projects” is linked to the company’s push to release a smartwatch type product at some point in the near future.

Should definitely be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months, with Apple reportedly set to hold a new product event in mid-October, where we should finally see the iWatch.

[Via IT Pro Portal

One thought on “Apple poaches brains behind Nike Fuelband and Flyknit shoes to head up iWatch team?

  1. […] Nike’s previously cosy relationship with Apple, we’d not be surprised to see it as an iOS-friendly device, capable of linking in to other Apple […]

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