A lot of people welcomed the Nike+iPod into their lives when it was first announced and released. To most, this would be the perfect companion while they are sweating it out in the gym or while jogging. But to these computer science students, the Nike+iPod could also be used by criminals to track a person's whereabouts. Who would have thought that this flimsy-looking contraption that was made for less than US$ 300 could hack into one of Apple's precious innovations.

The Nike+iPod has a small computer chip in the shoe that would beam data to a receiver attached to an iPod Nano. The signal can be tracked up to 60 feet away by the device coupled with GoogleMaps, said Scott Saponas, a doctoral student in computer science at the University of Washington.

This could be the perfect tool for a thief (who'll be alerted once you step out to jog), or a stalker who could follow you while you do your rounds. So how would you protect yourself and your privacy? Simple. Just switch the device off. It is sold with the power on and most users never bother to turn it off, the researchers say.

Have a nice run folks!