Since then, tons more apps have been developed (and improved upon) for the iPhone and also Google launched the Android operating system that has been growing like crazy in terms of adoption.
My questions to you are:
Do you use any mobile phone apps to log your BG or other diabetes related info?
If so which ones have you looked at (free/paid)?
What are your favorite features about each and what would you hope to see them do better?
Manny - I’m new to tudiabetes and I just posted a question about apps. I’m looking into the LIVESTRONG MyPlate D for a blackberry. In general, what do you think about dees apps?! Looking over the old discussion, it seemed more people didn’t like the hassle of entering data . . . hmm.
Definitely manual data-entry is a big pain/limitation. I am hopeful that 2011 will signal the year that wireless (automatic) data-entry will become the norm and not the exception!
I have an Android phone (LG Ally). I’m currently using OnTrack for Diabetes which allows me to log blood glucose, blood pressure, pulse, weight, medications, food (carbs only), and (loosely) exercise. It’s all manual, but it does export to .csv so I can send a file to the doctor’s office, and on-device it will analyze blood glucose (by range, by time of day, and chronologically) and it will track weight, blood pressure, pulse, and carbs. Unfortunately it will not correlate any of these to the others, but hey – it’s a free app and easy to use.
The Livestrong app for Android was pulled from the market for reworking shortly after I got my Ally, and I haven’t checked to see if it’s been added back or not. Unlike MapMy, which includes the mobile apps free for premium (paid) members, Livestrong charges separately – so I’ve not been all that motivated to search for it again.
I have tried a couple different apps for my iPhone - WaveSense. I downloaded insulin DM2 just to see what it was too. My big thing is having to manually enter data. I used to go looking online for apps for Diabetes weekly, but after most of them seemed to require manual entry, I’ve stopped. It seems to be a big deal breaker for me.
Of course I have a One Touch and have the cord and program to import the information in… so I like that more than anything.
My doctor has an iPhone. If there was some program that would be an easy way for me to import my numbers from my One Touch program to it so I could send them to him, I’d be super happy. I am always forgetting to print them off before I go in.
The problem is that glucose alone is really worthless information. You need to have all the information at hand that is influencing your numbers: at least time and date, blood glucose, activity level, carbs, rapid and basal insulin, a note field. The communication between OneTouch and iPhone would just give you the blood glucose. At maximum the efford to enter this data is to type two to three digits. The rest of the information has to be entered manually anyway. For this little convenience you need software that is supporting the OneTouch and wireless communication between the devices which will drain the batteries. In contrast to keeping a manual log book the digital information can be analysed so you are rewarded for your effords.
I just got a smart phone yesterday and am interested in looking into this. I find the data entry part of it tedious but I think I could perhaps improve things a bit were I to do it. Perhaps the new phone will get me going on it? I can get pretty accurate calories burnt info from this Garmin GPS gizmo I use running so it’s not inconceiveable, it’s just like 'well, I’ll start and miss one and throw the accuracy of my #s off and oh well, fuhgeddaboudit"
It would be nice if the medical industry would realize the utility of their data and agree on a standard format that would allow software people to take analysis to the next level. I guess the other reason I have blown it off is that the software sort of takes you to the edge of the cliff but doesn’t say ‘decrease your ____ by ___% and report back tomorrow’
Glucose buddy for food and activity, the Medtronics site to upload and export then pump and meter data, then I combine it to send to the cde and doctors - too many steps!<. I would love t be able to export all of the this to one site and then reference that t the cde, but have not yet found that…
You know part of the problem with D apps is still the FDA… the Ipod/iphone is not an approved software platform…
And I seriously doubt it will ever be…Hence why your not seeing much for ipods that doesnt consist of using the ipod as a data viewing device or has layers of Use at your own risk disclaimers… Its also why the alleged meter from Agamatrix doesnt do more when plugged into a ipod… and basically runs on the attachment… using the ipod as a data viewing device…
I appreciate them trying to protect people from themselves but most of us already realize everything we do for diabetes has some risk and i think its gotten to the point of stifiling creative and integrated solutions that would make life easier for us. So much stuff is in limbo these days… Nothing really new or inventive has come out in the US in the past few years and its already avalible elsewhere.
I have tried many iPhone apps and have not stuck with any of them. I think Log for Life was my favourite in terms of data entry (fewest taps to enter data). Glucose Buddy is good (and free!) but entering data is a bit more cumbersome. I like Diabetes Pilot for its data analysis and integration with a food database and desktop app.
Ultimately I found that recording my readings along with brief notes in my blog on LiveJournal is what I can stick with and helps me remain on track. It’s not as useful as having numbers broken down into statistics and graphs, but it’s quick and (for me) convenient.
What I really want an app that will take data from my meter/pump and then allow me to add notes as needed. I am switching over to a OneTouch Ping pump and am hoping its meter-remote will serve this purpose, even though it’s not online. The one thing my iPhone is great for diabetes-wise is looking up carbohydrate information while on the go.
my newly diagnosed 12 year old daughter who is very tech savy, just got an app on her new IPOD TOUCH called Diabetes Pilot. she logs in all her blood glucoses, carb counts , insulin etc. she can get out trends, bar graphs and all different stats from it. we send it to our desk top and can get print outs of everything. she likes it. It cost $12.00 dollars.
My only dissapointment is that we sent this to our CDE and she doesnt like it because it reads Vertical instead of Horizontal , which is more like their records.
There is a third party that makes a cable that IS compatible with 64bit windows… Last i remember the app will install… A partial solution is install the app into a Windows XP Virtual Machine in windows 7 64bit…
Another piece to the puzzle is there IS a compatible cable… but it is at your own risk… Engineering company makes a cable that uses a different(better) USB to serial converter, based on the FTDI chipset and not the crappy Prolific one used by lifescan (slightly more expensive than lifescans cable USED to be, they also make a freestyle cable)
Yes, I have the same trouble with the reports I send to MY cde…
How do younlike diabetes pilot? I have always used t he free programs, but this one seems to have a good following . Are there any additional fees for using the desktop version?
I too would love to hear what people think of diabetes pilot. They have added it to the App store on the iMac, so it would be nice to have a desktop as well as the iPhone version IF they are any good.
I found a free app for my droid which is called ontrack. I can customize it as I wish, but it comes with a quick add feature for Glucose, food, excercise, meds., weight, pulse, HbA1c, body fat. You can edit any info already stored, get reports and graphs. Like I said, you can customize it, back up to your SD Card, restore any lost data, export to excel or email. I like it, but I haven’t done any other research on other apps. If someone has any better apps, I’d like to hear about them.
epic fail today, tried fancy new OnTrack app in the AM thinking “this seems interesting”, came home from work, txt from MrsAcidRock and turned phone on ‘oh look, it’s this morning’s data in the app…’ having just spaced it @ work. I am not cut out for record keeping.
I’ve been using my One Touch Ultra meter on my 64bit Gateway FX series machine for months without any problems. I recently went on the Animas pump and it too downloads to this 64bit machine. Have you checked for the latest driver updates???
The desktop version is $40, but you can download a 30-day demo to see if you like it. It offers TONS of reports and graphs, syncs data flawlessly with the iPhone over wi-fi, and the developers seem open to feature suggestions. My only dislike of the program is that it can’t automatically download pump/meter data.
