DUBLIN, IRELAND and ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - Sep 19, 2011) - Fifth Province Ventures, a Dublin-based innovator of social networking and gaming platforms for smart phones, today announced that it will debut two new products in the US this week. The first is WISP, a location-based platform that runs on iPhone and Android platforms and empowers users with new levels of control of a social networking platform, along with increased privacy options. Unlike conventional social networking, WISP encourages users to move beyond virtual connections into the richer realm of quality face-to-face connections. It actively encourages users to build their own location-based social network only accessible locally to encourage people to go out to real places, meet real people and engage in real interactions.
The second product is a gaming platform called Relax and Race. Designed for PCs and mobile phones, the application teaches users how to manage stress. Central to the platform is the PIP (Personal Input Pod) -- a technology that measures the user's stress response and transmits the data wirelessly to a Bluetooth host. The technology enables people to manage stress in a fun and engaging way when they are on the move. As users become better at the game they learn the techniques unique to them to manage their own stress. It's an ideal tool for the busy tech-savvy professional that's always on the go.
The debut coincides with an Enterprise Ireland-supported trade mission to three South East States that will be led by Ireland's Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. Enterprise Ireland is the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish businesses in world markets.
Demonstrations of both WISP and Relax and Race will be shown during the trade mission. The WISP demo will show how easy it is to set up a WISP zone, find and connect with others nearby and ultimately how the platform uses virtual connectivity to encourage real interaction. The Relax and Race demo will involve allowing two people to join a racing game, each person relaxing and the person most relaxed winning the race. This sounds counterintuitive but by becoming an expert at Relax and Race a user learns to manage stress.
Fifth Province Ventures is committed to incubating, prototyping and developing technologies that genuinely enhance human potential but also provide excellent business opportunities. WISP and Relax and Race are two good examples of technology that demonstrate this unusually unique approach to business, society and enterprise.
According to Fifth Province Ventures' CTO, Dr. Gary McDarby, "Within our vibrant social media universe, a great paradox exists. We spend more and more time online, gathering legions of friends, yet the quality and quantity of face-to-face connectivity diminishes. In addition, these 'free' applications demand that we compromise basic human privacy rights. Theoretically, the advent of location-based platforms should have changed this. Instead, however, the newer technologies continue to deliver the same message: hand over your location, your data, your habits, everything you do online is now a part of the 'cloud.' We intend to change that dynamic by protecting privacy, giving ownership of data to the user and facilitating real connections that should happen but rarely do," said McDarby.
To learn more about Fifth Province Ventures, please visit www.5thprovinceventures.com.
To learn more about Enterprise Ireland, please visit www.enterprise-ireland.com.
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