Move over, OmniPod (?): Medingo Medical Solutions, based in Israel, is bragging that it’s creating “the first truly discreet insulin patch pump.”

Like the OmniPod, the product they’re developing, called the Solo™ system, is a two-part wireless system consisting of an insulin “patch” that adheres to the skin and a separate remote control unit with an integrated blood glucose monitor.

Hey, it’s the Virtual Age! Who says I actually have to be physically present at the annual ADA Conference (which kicked off this weekend) to bring you all the hottest news?

(Note that ADA staffers are putting a human face on the event this year with their collaborative SciSessions blog. Once again, I hope to represent the rest of us…)

It was probably just a matter of time until some famous photographer decided to document life with diabetes among the more than 18 million people with Type 2 in this country. Now Novo Nordisk has helped the process along by recruiting Rick Smolan, former Time, Life and National Geographic photographer and creator of the best-selling “Day in the Life” photography series, to do just that.

Thanks to a tip from Diabetes Notes I’ve discovered the Healthcare 100, a new global ranking of top English-language healthcare blogs from eDrugSearch.com — and also discovered that little ‘ol me here at DiabetesMine.com is currently rated No. 8. Cool!

For those of you wondering, yes, we are in Europe. Despite a mix-up with our “family row” on the airplane and the lack of those wonderfully distracting little individual seat-back TVs we were counting on to keep the kids busy, the flight went surprisingly well. Which means, of course, that the little ones slept for about 5 hours. Whew!

Let me start by saying that unlike Apple’s wall-mounted docking station for the iPod, this product is not for everyone. The other iPort stands for injection port, a little extended-wear doohickey that attaches to your skin for easy injecting, without the need for repeated skin punctures. If you’re already a happy insulin pumper, take a pass. If, however, you’re newly diagnosed, just getting used to injections, or want a “vacation” from your pump, this may be the gizmo for you.

FOUND at the Tenderich household on a typical day (this was last Tuesday):

How sweet would it be to have a tubeless insulin pump that also “talks” to a state-of-the-art CGM (continuous glucose monitor)? It may be coming sooner than we think…

To report on another side of ADA activities altogether, there was of course the Palo Alto Tour de Cure event this Sunday. Thank you all for your contributions! And ooh, man, I am proud of myself. My girlfriend and I zipped through the 30-mile (50k) course, and then I RODE HOME. Yes, adding another 25 miles to the course. (OK, it would’ve been just 20 miles if I hadn’t taken that wrong turn at Sand Hill Road — whatever)

When Doug Burns’ neck was on the line last month, getting close to being jailed for a case of hypoglycemic confusion, where was the American Diabetes Association? That was my question. I was told the advocacy group provided “legal counsel,” but even after interacting with Doug’s lawyer, I didn’t really see the value-add. So I did a little digging, mainly to find out how much I could depend on this very-visible-but-rather-monolithic organization in times of need. Are they really there for the “little guys” when bad things happen due to our diabetes?