[Novalug] Diabetes Software chance

[Peter Larsen]

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A few months back I asked this fine group for suggestions for Linux
software to use with diabetes test meters. The software that do exist,
is of course for windows only and usually of a fairly poor quality. But
nothing found for Linux :(

I wrote Abbott Diabetes Care - who produces the meter I use myself and
asked. And they're more than open to the suggestion of releasing the
specifications/protocols to talk with the Freestyle family meters.

Here's my plan should I get the communication specs - to initially make
a basic program in Java that will read the meter data, and hold a small
local "database" of meter readings. Once a basic program is working it
would be released on sourceforge or something like that. It would be
with the help of the community that other meters would be added, plus
features for diets and other medical records could be added.

To me it's important that this becomes a community effort. So here's the
issue. Abbott wants a business case for what-ever software "I" produce.
And I need to sell this idea of community effort and at the same time be
careful that I don't break copyright and patents Abbott might have
preventing a public release of the software. If the latter isn't
possible, I most likely won't venture into this.

If I scare them off I won't get the specs at all, and this is to no avail.

So I need a bit of help. Suggestions to what to write this company and
explain the wonders of open source without scaring them. And try to give
a business case that would be read as an advantage to them. By no means
do I want to help produce a SINGLE VENDOR (meter vendor) program so
claiming it's a sole advocacy for them would be wrong. But in the
beginning that would be the case of course.

Of course the initial platform I think about is Linux; but with Java
comes the possibility of all major platforms; mac, windows, different
distros etc. which is why Java is so appealing to me. But I need
something to hold the data in; what suggestions do you have? Mysql etc.
isn't always available for those other platforms. Other ideas for
programming platform?

Best Regards
  Peter Larsen
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