First of all many thanks to all of you for the spectacular response to our OneTouch® compatible USB-Serial meter cable. We are working furiously to keep up with the demand. Its hard to believe its been a month since the last entry, but an indication of how busy we have been keeping up with your response. We are running low on the free meters and are down to only UltraMini® meters which unfortunately don't have a data port, but have been well received nevertheless.

Thanks to customer Mike who informed me today he had just tried his cable with the new UltraLink® Meter that is being provided with the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. He indicated that the cable worked to upload data to the MiniMed Carelink site, but that he had to install a new driver for the UltraLink meter in order to upload data to the LifeScan® software.

We continue to work on cables for other meters and are looking for a good low-cost USB-IR receiver that will work with Vista and the Accu-Check meters with an IR data port.

Send post as PDF to

As a recently diagnosed diabetic without health insurance I am painfully aware of the high cost of "treatment." I looked long and hard at testing supplies, meters and which brand would be the lowest recurring cost for things like test strips. If you are in a similar situation I know you have done the same thing.

What we decided on was the Lifescan OneTouch® line of meters and supplies, if for no other reason than they were the only line that could use the same test strips across all of the meters in the line. What we also found is that in the finest tradition of "Gillette" marketing all of the test meter companies will gladly give you the meter in exchange for perpetual purchase (or insurance or Medicare if you are lucky enough to have it) of the test strips.

Most companies will also give you the software for your PC for free. What they definitely don't give away is the little cable to attach the meter to the PC. Most of the meter brands are also stuck selling serial PC cables with antiquated DB-9 connections for $30 a pop. When is the last time you saw a new PC with one of those? To its credit, Lifescan does offer a USB cable but will also hit you up for $30 for it.
Read the rest of this entry »

Send post as PDF to