By the end of this year, you can very well tell your mother that all running shoes made by Nike could talk with the iPod Nano. Ain't that swell?

Well, although technically not being able to "talk" to each other, the Nike+iPod running kit enables runners to track their progress through software for the iPod Nano. Information such as time of workout, distance travelled, pace and calories burned by the individual wearing the Nike shoes could be tracked by the iPod, located in the inner sole of the Nike shoe.

Recently, Nike has reported soft third quarter sales. Other shoe manufacturers also reported a slump in their sales, such as Foot Locker Inc. and Finish Line Inc. We really don't know why, but Nike has promised that it will rise above its retail record down with the help of leading retail partners that will build strength.

Nike CEO and president Mark Parker didn't disclose any details about this strength-building partnership, but he said that some of these new Nike concepts at retail will be expected this calendar year. He hinted at changes to Nike's Shox and apparel lines, including plans to make all its running shoes compatible with its Nike+ technology by the end of the year.

Well...we just love the idea of shoes rapidly going electronic. Shoes!

Developer of numerous homebrew games and applications like PSP XMB Beta v0.1, Chao Garden (Virtual Pet) v0.6 and 1.00 and 1.50 PSP Text Changer among others, c5cha7, is giving us a reason to be square with the test version for his new homebrew game called SHOX.

At first, I was like, "Okay 2 squares, now what?" So I tried mashing some buttons to see what will happen. I bumped the only other square and to my surprise the display said GAME OVER. Not to be discouraged, I tried once more, this time with the knowledge that you're not suppose to get hit by anything. I took it easy at first because there's only one square that moves from side to side. I thought, "As long as I keep my distance I'm safe." And then, here comes another red block, and another and another. My little blue square felt a little claustrophobic, so I started moving around while dodging every block that was on the screen. Easy enough, since the block's movements were limited and predictable, I can easily cruise my way around them. But then, here comes one orange ball. The pesky little thing followed me everywhere I go. It's like a classic game of tag played in an obstacle course.

First, I liked the pace of the game. The way that it started out with only one block made you complacent thus not anticipating anything and it's a nice challenge when the game started picking up. Second, the controls cannot be any simpler. You can use the directional buttons or the joystick. I liked the trailing shadow under the blocks to indicate speed (Nice touch!). Since the game thrives on obstacles, I would suggest more pesky orange balls (whee!) or a red block that's as fast as the pesky orange balls. More obstacles spells more thrills.

I found this game worth playing, even if it's still in its test version. Oddly enough, its simplicity is the game's most engaging factor. This is still not available for 2.00+, but, compatible versions coming soon. According to c5cha7's email, the game was released in its early stage because they want to get suggestions from you guys on what needs to be improved.

Kudos to c5cha7!

DOWNLOAD: [SHOX v0.1]