A new more or less surprising deal was announced today by tech company Apple and sport-dedicated company Nike. The two popular companies made public today the fact that they had joined forces in order to revolutionize Apple’s highly famous device, the iPod NanS.

Apple and Nike announced on Tuesday that they were already working with gym equipment manufacturers and health clubs in order to allow people to plug their iPod Nano devices into cardio equipment. Thus, Apple’s iPod Nano would become able to track workouts, to set goals and also to upload the information to one of Nike’s web sites: www.nikeplus.com.

The gym equipment manufacturers that are involved in this project are Life Fitness, Star Trac, Precor, Technogym and others.

Apple and Nike said that the brand new technology was set to hit gyms starting this summer. "The Nike + iPod experience revolutionized running. Now we’re revolutionizing the gym cardio experience,” said Nike’s Vice President of Global Brand and Category Management, Trevor Edwards. “We’re enabling people who go to the gym an opportunity to set goals, track progress, and compete in challenges with their friends and with other members of www.nikeplus.com. It’s a groundbreaking tool for people who want to maximize their workouts,” Edwards also added.

This recent deal represents just another major partnership for Apple and Nike, which created also Nike+ technology more than one year ago. Nike+ allows shoes created by Nike to communicate with Apple’s iPod Nano through a sensor embedded in shoes.

"The iPod is an essential part of millions of people's workouts and now users can easily set goals and track their progress with Nike + iPod,” said Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing for iPod, Greg Joswiak. "We're excited to be working with Nike and leading equipment manufacturers to bring the Nike + iPod experience to the gym," Joswiak added.