OK, here goes nothing:
I have a pretty constant blog at Blogger entitled iPhone Diabetes Technology: How Big Companies Get It Right and I Get It Wrong
http://glucosebuddy.blogspot.com
I’m going to start uploading them into here. I’ll start with just a few and from here on out I’ll make sure to copy them over.
Is there a way to automatically import blogs from other locations?
PLEASE share if there is.
Sounds good Matt. Did you read about Sensei’s new diabetes iPhone app? It’s featured in my Weekly Nuggets this week.
Best,
AmyT
Amy, I did. and I actually reviewed it in my last blog:
4/17/09
iPhone Diabetes Apps reviews
After a nice long car ride conversation with a good friend and diabetes guru, Robert Oringer, I’ve changed my blog name. Rob brought to my attention that he think diabetics and technology connoisseurs want to have a one stop shop to learn about all the new gear that’s talked about on the Internet, and what actually comes out.
So, on the iPhone app, we have some new stuff to hit the App Store. Well, relatively new as in I’ve just heard about them in the last week or so.
Sensei: My Diabetes Guide came out with a new app. I downloaded it, obviously. Played around.
My feeling is that it’s a good app, if I was A) very uninformed about my body and diabetes or B) just diagnosed. So for the rest of you, ehhh, might wanna save your 99 cents.
First page:
To Do:
Check Your Blood Glucose
Brush Your Teeth and Floss Regularly
Take Your Meds
you get the picture
I mean don’t get me wrong, this could be helpful for people but it’s presented in an encyclopedia format. Want to know about Living with Diabetes and Depression? Just click the button. There you will find information like “Diabetes raises your risk for serious depression. This is nothing to be ashamed of…”
Another app I just purchased for 4.99 (along with their 35 dollars a month web portal) was Zuri brought to you by Zume Life. In all fairness, you do get the first month free, and you can cancel at any time without being billed. I’m going to save that review for when I post a video and so I have some time to redownload it without it bugging out on me.
Also, you can view our Facebook page for videos of Islet and Diabetes Log. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Glucose-Buddy/62981842490?ref=ts
In case you’re wondering, being the co-founder of Glucose Buddy, I am going to naturally favor my program because, after all, we built it, but in terms of reviews I’m going to be as objective as possible. My main goal is to inform other diabetics, like myself, about what is going on in this industry.
Hi Matt and Amy…
I wrote a review on the iTunes store site yesterday on the Sensei app…unfortunately quite negative. It’s reproduced below.
Matt, I’ve also reviewed Glucose Buddy, Islet and GCPro…and FYI after testing for a while Glucose Buddy is the only one I’m using right now. I’m only using the glucose readings because I can export them for use in creating custom graphs in Excel.
best, Stephen
the iTunes store review:
My Diabetes Guide review on iTunes store 4/17/09
So Disappointing… [one star]
I got this as soon as I heard about it…The press release I saw about it (from Humana, the parent company of Sensei, on busineswire.com) said it was developed with the Joslin Diabetes Center. They must know what they’re doing, I thought.
They may know diabetes but they don’t know iPhone apps.
The first clue was the typo on one of the opening screens (“How Often Should Your Check” on the Check Your Blood Glucose screen).
Next was the fact that even though the image turns in landscape mode it doesn’t really switch to the wider view…you get the same view with some other stuff partially obscured.
Then there is the telltale newbie mistake: buttons you have to stab at six time to get a response.
The interface problems continue into the actual diabetes-related functions. From start-up it takes about 10 touches to record one glucose reading. TEN! That includes two scrolls to bring buttons into view. I test 4 times a day. That’s 40 touches a day, 280 a week, almost 15,000 a year. It HAS to be less or I won’t use it. (I’m comparing it to a paper log where I jot in the time and the BG value – takes a second, maybe. I’d spend a little more time if it meant the info was going into a database I could use for graphing or analysis but that’s not the case here – see below. There are other iPhone apps that are faster AND store the info into an exportable database.)
It’s almost impossible to get to the Blood Pressure log…the button is so close to a navigation button that it can’t be cleanly hit. Then when I go to the BP log and scrolled down to the Add Event button the thing crashed, twice. When I finally got past all those obstacles I found a screen with a wheel meter and the instruction “Please select your Systolic, Diastolic value.” Well, people: those are two separate values but there’s only one wheelset on the screen. Ok. I put in a value and the next screen asks me the date and time…and the next screen was just totally baffling nonsense.
So where do all these values go? I couldn’t find any way to export a database so they can be used to see trends, etc. The thing is full of static information about diabetes, equipment, etc., but wouldn’t it be better to just have links to a site where this information can be kept up to date?
Anyway, unfortunately it’s a mess – full of interface fauxpas, screwups and errors. Obviously released after a day and a half of testing. I wish Apple would do a better job checking these things out before they let them release – it really reflects badly on them. And hey, this is telling: the Joslin name doesn’t appear anywhere in the app, and there’s not a word about the product on the Joslin Diabetes Center website – what did they do, just license their name to a developer and wash their hands of the project?
Stephen,
True Story: I have of course read your reviews on iTunes, and just yesterday was trying to find your real identity so that I could E-mail you. I checked our "Play with our $$ survey " located on our Website http://www.glucosebuddy.com, went through the database, and didn’t find anyone that resembled your pen name.
I can tell that you are a iPhone diabetes enthusiast and would love for you to be a guest blogger on my blog: http://glucosebuddy.blogspot.com
Can you shoot me an E-mail at mtendler@glucosebuddy.com with some contact info so we can speak in real-time (either on the phone or gchat, aim, etc.)
And TuDiabetes connects two more diabetics…add it to the tally sheet