andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Although you can still see Tiger Woods sporting Nike caps, t-shirts and shoes, don’t expect to see any Gatorade his hand. E! reported that a day after Nike pledged commitment to the now controversial golf pro, PepsiCo-owned Gatorade announced that they were dropping Woods. Like he’s hot.

“We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship,” said a spokeswoman for Gatorade, which discontinued its Gatorade Tiger Focus energy drink in December. “We wish him all the best.”

It is not official whether the company dropped him due to his recent marital woes, but it’s not too difficult to figure out.

Gatorade is not the only company to let go of the apologetic athlete; Accenture was the first to cut him, followed by AT&T. Watchmaker Tag Heuer and Gillette let him off a little bit easier; without completely letting him go, they have decided to give him smaller roles in advertising for the near future.

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There’s little in the music world that excites me more than a good collaboration. Be the unlikely pairing of Eminem and Elton John, or inevitable power tracks from Jay-Z, Kanye and Rihanna (check out “Run This Town” if you haven’t already heard it.)

Recently, though, more than just musical minds have been getting together. So here’s the news.

It seems early to be looking forward to the holidays, but this year I actually have a reason to get excited. Bob Dylan is releasing a Christmas album, according to Pitchfork. No longer will I have to sit through the intolerable holiday stylings of Michael Buble, Destiny’s Child, or Jessica Simpson. At first I was hesitant, imagining his raspy, sarcastic attempts at “Santa Baby” or “Deck the Halls.”

But Dylan’s official website confirmed a more appropriate set list, including “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Little Drummer Boy”, and “Must Be Santa.” The album artwork for Christmas in the Heart is also pure class, and will surely stand out amongst the glittery fare normally on the shelves around the holiday time. The album is set for release on Oct. 13 – a little on the early side but knowing Dylan, it will be worth much more than just holiday cheer.

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Nike announced on Tuesday that it is developing running shoes that will wirelessly communicate with Apple’s iPod. The system, called Nike+iPod, will allow users to access time, distance, pace and calories burned through the headphones of an iPod nano.

The Nike+iPod Sports Kit is expected to retail for about $29 US and should be available in two months. Consumers will have to purchase a pair of compatible shoes, which feature a special insole sensor, in order to use the system.

Nike also launched a line of clothing, including jackets and shorts, that is designed to hold iPods while keeping wires untangled and hidden.