New iPod device may leave users vulnerable

TACOMA, Wash., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Washington have found that Apple's latest iPod accessory could leave users vulnerable to stalking.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, which is designed for joggers. The device consists of a sensor built into a specially made Nike tennis shoe with a receiver, which plugs into to the bottom of an iPod Nano.

But in a detailed report called "Devices That Tell On You: The Nike+iPod Sport Kit," researchers found that the data can be easily intercepted using a home-made receiver from a short distance away, thus revealing the user's location.

"The wireless capabilities in this new gadget can negatively impact a consumer's personal privacy and safety," the report reads. "Someone could use the sensor's broadcast messages to track which locations you visit, and when you visit them."

Apple has been pushing the sport kit, which sells for $48, in anticipation of the Christmas season, the Herald reported.

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