iBGStar Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Recently I was granted the opportunity to demo the iBG Star Blood Glucose Monitoring System for iPod/iPhone.
When I first saw this I was really excited and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Having and loving my iPhone and iPod I thought what a great way to use them to help me monitor my glucose levels.

When it finally arrived, I tore into the box and opened the case and felt like a child at Christmas. I was happy to see how un-intrusive the device was. It wax no bigger than a pack of gum but very sleek. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and downloaded the app from the App Store.
At first, it took me a minute to get everything set up. I tend not to read instruction's right off the bat just to see how intuitive things are. So once I got it synced with the app everything was really straight forward after that.

I've been using the iBG Star now for about a week and a half. One of the things that I love about it is the fact that it’s a standalone meter all by itself. You do not need to have it hooked to your phone or other supported Apple device until your ready to sync the information.
When doing some more research on the iBG Star, I saw you could get phone cases that allows you to keep the monitor connected to the phone all the time, which is handy but you still have to carry the lancets, and test strips so why not just keep the whole thing together?

One thing that I did notice that has me a bit put off is that the iBG Star seems to be off  by sometimes up to 200 points. I have been using my Bayer Contour USB Glucose Monitor along with the iBG Star and at my highest reading both machines read differently. The iBG Star read 486 where my Contour USB read 268.
I did a control test and still found it to be off by 40-60 points, which I have been told by my Diabetes Educator that is to be expected, but that its nothing to really worry about. Well being someone who is on a sliding scale for his insulin injections that’s the difference between a little and a lot of insulin. But I imagine if I was using the iBG Star as my only meter then I wouldn’t worry to much.

Getting into the app itself, I must say is very clean and easy to navigate. You have some fun features like being able to change the background on the app, as well as tailoring it to your needs by inputting your highs and lows, as well as your insulin etc..
It also gives you a nice on screen display to let you know when you need to apply your blood sample and when the meter has been disconnected or connected.
I am one for super easy, intuitive, and visually appealing software. The iBG Star merges flawlessly with the iOS.

All in all I have to say I really do love the iBG Star. I really like the fact that you do not need to keep it connected to your phone all the time and that it is a stand alone reader. I also like the fact that you can get the app for your iPod and iPad as well. Making it fully intergraded into the Apple owners life. I do not like the fact that it is only Apple based. I would like to maybe see a future version of this released to Android just to be more inclusive and opening the market for new users. 

Another feature that I really like about iBG Star is that you have the ability to share your meter readings via email with your doctors. This provides them with detailed information that allows you to get instant results, especially if you are being monitored closely for other Diabetic complications.

All in all I would give the iBG Star 9/10 stars. The only reason I did not give it a full 10 is due to it being only for iOS and not more readily available to all devices. However, that being said. I find it being one of the better devices offered for Apple that is a stand alone machine.

^{Images borrowed from Google Images. I do not claim ownership to them.}

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Biomedtrics Ditto

Recently I had the chance to test out the new Biomedtrics Ditto. The Ditto is a Bluetooth device that allows you to sync your blood glucose meters to any Bluetooth enabled device such as a smart phone, tablet, or PC.
Along with the standalone device there is an app called MyDittoLife, which allows you to keep all of your testing records on it and share it with your medical provider by emailing it directly to them. And the app is also accompanied by a website that stores all of your testing information via the Cloud, allowing you to access your information where ever there is internet access.

With Ditto you have several connection options that allow you to connect to your meter. It comes standard with a 3.5mm Male to Male audio cord that allows you to plug your glucose meter into the Ditto, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter for those smaller ports, and a USB charging cable. That’s right there are no batteries that you have to deal with, its charged by plugging into any USB 2.0 plug.
And because Ditto is Bluetooth compatible that means that you can wirelessly sync your meter to your phone or tablet/PC. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and when I connected  my meter to the Ditto and turned on Bluetooth Sync within the app, it automatically updated the app on my phone with my most current reading for the past 3 months. I was a little disappointed in that it did not download all my readings into the app, but was impressed with how simple it was, once I had the app setup to work with the meter that I was using.

The entire Ditto program is controlled through the app. You can make all your changes right from your tablet or smart phone. It is pretty intuitive for the most part, but if you are technologically stupid, you may struggle a bit with it. I would like to have seen the over all ease of use more KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) friendly for those who are not tech savvy.

One drawback that I did find with the Ditto was its limited number of supported glucose meters. However, many of the top name models such as Abbott, Bayer, ReliOn, and LifeScan (ie OneTouch) are supported. This is one feature that I would like to see expanded upon in future developments.

Another feature that I liked about Ditto was that you could choose which way you wanted to export your glucose data, you could have it done in PDF or CVS format. Personally I prefer PDF format because it is more universal.  The other thing that was nice was that it displays a bar graph after every reading allowing for you to see visually how your weeks highs and lows compared.

All in all I give this system a 7 out of 10 stars, based on the app and the lack of supported meters, and the fact that it is only currently offered for Android. I really do like that the system is stand alone and Bluetooth which gives it great functionality and room for future development. You can get yours from Amazon by clicking here, and downloading the app from the Google Play Store by clicking here.

UPDATE

11/7/13

After having used the app a bit more I have found that my last statement of Ditto not having uploaded all of my readings from the meter was not true.
The meter I was using only had readings from back in March of this year. It did not display in the app that any information had been downloaded, it just displayed that there was no data found. I have brought this to the attention of Biomedtrics, and they are looking into it.

I did find and have a chance to look at my graphs for the time period that I did have data for and found that like the picture above it was well detailed and accurate, and gave me a good visual on how my trends were. I am going to upgrade my original rating from a 7 to a 7.5 stars out of 10. Knowing now that all my data was downloaded makes it nicer (and would have probably saved me some hardships had I used a meter with more accurate testing dates than half a year ago) to work with. I still stand by the fact that the over all usefulness of the app and website could be more user friendly but for those techy people out there this shouldn’t be to big of an issue.

Also in my previous review I forgot to mention that there is a website that you can view your information on called www.mydittolife.com which from what I can see is an HTML version of the app, without the ability to really change much of the information on, but have been assured that the site is a work in progress. The Ditto is a great device and is worth using, I would recommend it to my more computer literate friends, over the ones who are struggling to come into the 21st century.

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Glooko is coming to Android and Google Play

So there is a product on the market called Glooko, which is a revolutionary new device that allows you to connect your Glucose meter to your iPhone and copy all of your test results over to your phone, thus allowing you to email them to your doctor.

 

Well back in 2011 – 2012 I was accepted to be a tester for this new product and wrote a series of articles about it. Since then they have made leaps and bounds with it. You see Glooko use to only be available to iPhone users.

However, I was again chosen to be a beta tester for their new Android App. I must say so far I'm a bit disappointed (so far) with the outcome of the Android version of Glooko. You see unlike the iPhone single sync cord version (left), the Android sync version (right) requires 2 parts. These parts are a square box that plugs into the earphone jack of your phone or mobile device and has a cord that plugs into that, then into your meter. The other thing about the Android version is that it is not powered by the phone or the tester. It requires a large button cell battery, and the unit must be manually turned on in order to begin the sync with your phone.

One thing that I did notice though, was the large database of supported glucose meters the new Android version has. When I tested the iPhone version back in 2011 they had very limited number of supported meters. They now have all the main name brands and a few off brand glucose meters supported. The other thing that I was pleased to see was that unlike the iPhone sync which needed a whole different attachment or meters that had IR (infrared) beaming abilities, it is now built into the Android version.

The other thing that has been improved is the app for both Android and iPhone. The new and improved app allows for better, smoother functioning, making it super simple for even the most tech challenged person to use.

All in all I give the Android Glooko reader 8 out of 10 stars. The only reason I’m scoring it at an 8 is because of the 2 piece system and the fact that it is battery operated and not self powered like its counterpart for the iPhone. Other than that, I am happy that they finally crossed over to the Android market. You can get your own Glooko setup for iPhone here. It is not fully available for Android consumers yet. But keep up to date with them via their Facebook Page, Website, or Twitter, so that you can be the first to know when the consumer version of Glooko for Android is released.

[UPDATE] 10/29/13

It seems as if I was a bit to harsh/hasty on the rating scale of 8 out of 10 stars. At first glance I was off put by the over all appearance of the sync cable being in 2 separate parts and being battery operated. However, it did not dawn on me that the unit having a built in IR might need the additional power that the phone would not be able to give and provide normal functioning battery life for the phone itself. And the fact that there are some meters on the market that are IR compatible that would be unnecessary to have a data cable that was constantly attached. So I am reevaluating it and giving it a 10 out of 10.

I am also pleased to know that your meter data is available across platforms. I was able to pull readings from my iPhone and see them on my Android. So this makes the device even more universal and friendly. That is why Im giving it 10 out of 10. I have also synced my other meters with the App with only a few finger swipes. Unlike other mobile Apps that boost their ‘ease’ of use features. With Glooko its 2 swipes and your new meter is ready to go.

Get your Glooko meter cable here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F9K7BWQ
Get Glooko for Android here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glooko.logbook
Get Glooko for iPhone here https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/glooko-logbook-diabetes-take/id471942748?mt=8

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Fresh Healthy Vending

So I recently found out that there is a company that is setting up Fresh Vending Machines nation wide. The vending business isn’t something new, but it is a fresh idea when you can vend healthy choices and not potato chips and soda.

“Obesity has become a health crisis of epic proportions. By making healthy foods available in convenient locations, you can take an active role in the fight!…” Dieting and choosing the right foods is sometimes really hard. You don’t want to place processed foods into your body, but having a salad can be expensive. That is what makes Fresh Vending so amazing, because for the price of a candy bar and a soda you could have a healthy alternative like a bottled water and some baby carrots.

It may seem like a ludicrous concept, but junk food consumption can lead to obesity, which is slowly killing adults and children alike. Thankfully, people are finally waking up to the health crisis of adult and childhood obesity. A healthy food movement is happening and you can lead the charge.

I think this is a revolutionary idea and wish that there was a Fresh Vending machine in my neighborhood!!

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Health Website that actually is…Healthy

I have always come across sites that boaster that they have excellent articles about heath, beauty and the like. But I found one that isn’t just a bunch of fluff and hot air. Behealthy24.com is one of the best sites that I have ever come across! They are on Online Magazine or E-zine that has informative articles, and research that is provided to you in a way that makes you truly understand what they are trying to say.

Most times when it comes to health and beauty you are bombarded with tons of information that makes it hard to really understand what it is that you are reading, but with behealthy24 its provided to you in a familiar format that is a easy and convenient read.
What first brought me to this site is that I was researching Diabetics and Skin Tags and Mole removal click here found an article about it (link) and then found other internal links to information about Skin Tags which provided me with information about them that I never knew.

I have bookmarked the site and started following them on Twitter and Facebook just so that I can keep up with their informative articles and helpful tips and tricks resource.

Related articles

• Stop & Remove Skin Tags, Exercise "maGic"™ (recoveryhealth.me)
• Cosmedics Skin Clinics Doctor Advises Patients Not to Ignore Warts and Skin Tags (prweb.com)
• Get Rid of That Skin Tag (nichronized.wordpress.com)
• Natural Home Remedies: Removing Moles, Skin Tag Removal And Warts Treatment (naturalholisticremedies.wordpress.com)

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Did some Retail Therapy

Recently I did some retail therapy and bought myself an Airsoft pistol from Hobbytron.com. Growing up I always had BB guns and other fun “make it go boom” toys but never an Airsoft gun.

So I had come across Hobbytron by mistake and was happy that I did. They have a large selection of Airsoft, RC, and Educational/Science products, at super cheap prices. I was pretty giddy when I made my order because I have always wanted an Airsoft gun and now I finally found one that was at a great price. When it came in the mail I opened it like a kid opening a Christmas present. I was shocked at how detailed this gun was. When I picked it up it was heavy and made of good quality durable plastic, and felt great in the hand. It took me a few seconds to figure out how it worked, but once I had the 14 round clip loaded, and cocked I was having fun like a kid all over again.

I was having kind of a bad day when it came in so I was happy that it did. I made up a target of things that were making me mad and depressed and I shot at them until I felt better. It was a very nice non-violent way to unwind and get some stress and frustration out. Thankfully I bought a bag of 1000 BB’s to go with the gun. Now whenever im feeling “moody” I just shoot my paper bag target (helps with the clean up too).

Check out the HobbyTron.com Home Page and see what you can find.

Related articles

• Paintball vs. Airsoft (reddevilreview.com)
• Airsoft Guns, Soft-air, Outdoors, Sporting Goods (earthyessences.wordpress.com)
• Web Entrepreneur Launches AirsoftCommandCenter.com, a Website for Airsoft Guns and Accessories (virtual-strategy.com)
• Newly Opened Paintball Airsoft Store Offers Airsoft and Paintball Essentials (virtual-strategy.com)

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All IT Supported Baton Rouge-Service Review

It seems like everyone is a so called IT Professional but many times when you hire someone you really don’t know what kind of quality they offer. That’s where All IT Supported Baton Rouge, takes it a step further. With their superior knowledge, devoted staff, and nation wide offices they are a power house to be reckoned with. All IT Supported proudly serves the IT needs of Baton Rouge-area companies, and understands the day to day challenges of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

They also have a 24/7 monitoring and support service that in onsite that provides support responses in 3-4 hours, as well as updated servers and preventative maintenance overseeing the entire IT infrastructure and more. When it comes to keeping your business up and running, I don’t know why you would turn to anyone else.

Related articles

• Liens Filed Against Baton Rouge, Louisiana Casino (insurancejournal.com)
• Kauffman Foundation Announces 'Express Your Pledge' Winner (kauffman.org)
• Woman: Rats invading Baton Rouge home and yard (wafb.com)

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Electronic Medical Records

Living in the digital age has brought around new technologies that revolutionize the health care industry. In a day and age where you can keep the contents of your entire computer on something the size of a stick of gum, doctors and healthcare professionals are now pushing for their patients to carry thumb-drives with Electronic Medical Records on it. I know being a Diabetic I carry a thumb-drive with all my medical information on it so that way if I have a medical emergency, doctors and emergency response teams will have my whole history right there at their fingertips. Electronic medical Records Software is typically easy to use and there are companies that will even maintain these records for you. One such company that provides these services is Optimus ERM they offer:

ADT and Resident Information

The Electronic Chart (eChart)

Point-of-Care (POC) Documentation

Automated MDS

Integrated Electronic Heath Records

Fully Integrated Billing and Financial System

Electronic Control Center (eCC)—Management Dashboard

CPOE Physician Order Module

eMAR and eTAR (Electronic Medication Administration Records and Electronic Treatment Administration Records)

Pharmacy and Lab Interfaces

Physician Full Clinical Module

Complete Support for Integrated CCRC Campuses

Full Therapy (Rehab) Module that is Integrated with Resident Clinical Records

I strongly urge everyone to at least get one and update it with your current records and place one in a safety deposit box or on your keychain, you never know when it will save your life.

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Oraquick–The Next Step in Testing

What is OraQuick?

OraQuick^® is the first FDA-approved oral swab in-home test for HIV-1 and HIV-2. It's an oral swab test that doesn't require blood. It's completely private. And it's based on the same HIV test that healthcare professionals have used since 2004.

With OraQuick, you have the comfort of getting your test results in the privacy of your own home. It's the only at-home oral HIV test approved by the FDA.

Trusted

Adapted from a clinically proven, FDA-approved test. With over 20 million tests sold, healthcare professionals have used it since 2004.

Confidential

You can call our Support Center any time. Our trained customer service representatives are available 24/7 ready to answer your questions.

Private

You take the test in the privacy of your own home.

Fast

You get results in 20 minutes.

Oral

OraQuick is an oral test. You just swipe your gums. There's no blood involved.

The OraQuick Test Kit includes:

1. Step-by-step directions
2. An oral swab test stick and tube with solution
3. Information booklets on HIV and testing
4. Package Insert containing information about the test

How Oral Testing Works

Most people assume that blood is involved in HIV testing. But with OraQuick an oral swab is used for testing and requires no blood. By collecting oral fluid from your gums, you collect fluid similar to that used in blood testing.

So the OraQuick Test detects antibodies for HIV, not the virus itself.

You just gently swipe the test swab along your upper gums once and your lower gums once. Then you insert the swab inside the test tube provided and get your results in just 20 minutes.

Safe and approved by the FDA for use by adults (17 years of age or older), OraQuick is the first and only HIV test that delivers your results with all the comforts and privacy of home.

A Name You Can Trust

For two decades, OraSure Technologies has been a leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of oral diagnostic and collection devices.

OraSure products are sold around the world to clinical laboratories, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations and other public and governmental health organizations and agencies. With our products, healthcare providers can deliver critical information to their patients, empowering them to make decisions that will help improve and protect their health.

Where to Buy

OraQuick is available for purchase here at OraQuick.com or at fine retailers near you. If you do not see your favorite retailer listed below, please contact the retailer directly for product purchase or store location information.

Buy Now

 

Find a Store Buy Now

 

A direct link is not available at this time. For purchase or store location information, please contact the retailer directly.

Find a Store

 

Find a Store

 

A direct link is not available at this time. For purchase or store location information, please contact the retailer directly.

Available only in the U.S. through OraQuick.com or at authorized national retailers.

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GE X500 Power Series Review

I recently purchased a new GE X500 Power Series digital camera with 16 megapixel and 15x optical zoom, 27mm wide angle lens, image stabilization, 2.7’ LCD, 3200 ISO, face auto exposure, auto scene mode, pancapture, and smile/blink/face detection. 

Right out of the box this impressively inexpensive camera looks like one of the big boys, and has a lot of power and features to make it comparable to some of the other point and shoot / LSR cams out there. The camera itself only weighs in at 2lbs and is comfortable to hold with its ergonomic design.

The fully extendable lens makes getting those far away shots a breeze with the 15x optical zoom. I was able to stand about 40 yards away and was able to take a clear picture of a couple sitting on a bench.

 

I took the picture in both black and white and on vivid color modes. The Black and White picture was at 10x zoom, the color photo was at 7x zoom and I was about 40 yards away from them.
As you can see from both photos there is no loss of quality or distortion as there are in other camera’s on the market, which makes this a nice camera for beginners and hobbyists alike. Also being at this distance you can really tell that the image stabilizer helped.

The other thing that I love about this camera is the manual flash. It stays closed until you press the release button thus opening it, and its instantly charged. The other great thing about this camera is the large 2.7’ LCD screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve had camera’s in the past that have had nice LCD screens but this one takes the cake. I was shooting on a sunny day, above a beach, and I had no problem seeing the screen, unlike some cameras that force you to have to cover them to see the display. Another great thing about the display is the button on the top right corner that reads LCD/EVF. The GE X500 Power Series is equipped with an Electronic View Finder which is a neat and unexpected feature that I wasn’t aware of when purchasing this camera. You also have the choice of turning the display off to conserve battery life. However, I don’t know about you but I use the LCD screen to frame my shots. For power the camera is ran on 4 AA batteries which are located on the bottom of the camera on the right hand side. Also that is the location of the memory card slot, which makes it a little inconvenient when you are wanting to quickly change out your card.

While playing around with it, because you know like most men we never read an instruction manual, and prefer to meander through learning any new piece of tech like a monkey doing a math problem. That being said….Navigation of this camera is a bit confusing. Depending on the setting that you have it on depends on what menu options you have. It wasn’t until about 15minutes of messing with it that I found the settings for vivid color, black and white, and sepia. I also discovered some boarders for special ‘framing’ of pictures which was sadly lacking as they are very generic but still fun and whimsical.

There are also some fun camera modes like fish eye effect and one called sketch which makes the whole picture look like it was drawn with a pencil.

The next feature the Pancapture mode is by far the best surprise about this camera. I have never taken a panoramic picture before so I was a little scared when doing it, but the on screen navigation for this function was simple to use and follow. When you take set the camera up it asks you which direction you are wanting to film from, you use the directional keys and make your selection. Then you take your first shot and a line with a + at the end shows you where to move your camera to. If you fail to line the shot up you have to start all over again, but as soon as you line up it snaps the second shot and moves to the third and final shot, resulting in crisp full shots.

The GE X500 also allows for you to record movies which makes it like a high price handycam too. You still have access to some of the features that you do with the camera part of it, like the full zoom, image stabilization, and clean crisp audio.

All and All I give the GE X500 Power Seriesem> camera a 8 out of 10 stars. For the price it’s a great camera. However, menu navigation is not intuitive. The user manual is on a CD so there isnt a paper copy you can keep with you while you are out and about. I recommend this camera for anyone who wants to start taking pictures or are looking for a new camera to buy. I did some shopping around and found this camera ranging from $119 – $140 and refurbished from about $90 – $100. I first saw the camera at Wal-Mart and it was on sale. I looked on eBay, Amazon, CircuitCity.com, Frys.com, NewEgg.com, and TigerDirect.com and found that Amazon had the best deal. For $144.00 I was able to get a packaged deal that included the GE X500, a set of rechargeable batteries, a tripod, a 8gb memory card, a USB card reader, lens care kit, and a camera bag.

The other nice thing about having shopped on Amazon, was that I was able to find a 2 year replacement warranty that included drops and spills for $30 that covered $150-$170. For for $206 after taxes it was shipped. 

I am super happy with it, and am looking forward to taking many great pictures.  So if your on the market for a new camera, check out this guy.

See more of my pictures on Facebook

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