Keeping your life in sync, fun and games for kids on iPad and getting wine decisions right are among the new technologies underway at AlphaLab.
The sixth cycle of companies was introduced this week at the South Side accelerator, attracting aspiring entrepreneurs to Pittsburgh from as far away as Houston, Texas, to participate in the intensive, 20-week program for software entrepreneurs in the region.
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood meets the iPad at GenevaMars, which is developing engaging games, such as “Zachy the Robot,” for children on touch-computing devices that boost educational and developmental progress.
“Blue’s Clues is inherently interactive but doesn’t allow children to react back,” says Charles Kim who admits to allowing his 3-year-old to play on his iPad. “The iPad is the perfect (for two-way communication) and will change the way people interact with media.”
Wawadoo? (Whatcha wanna do?) Chris Allen and Tim Kern are creating a Pandora-like website that helps users to find the best local events according to personal taste. The duo, from Houston, drove all the way to Pittsburgh to participate in AlphaLab. The website will launch in the next several weeks with an initial focus on Pittsburgh.
RhoMania is developing a decision-making app to give wine sellers a platform to select the right wine for a customer. The company is planning on doing beta tests at 17th Street Cafe, Paris 66 and Donato’s.
For those challenged by contact information that’s all over the place, there’s Delirium, several Penn State grads who are building Redress to synchronize, share and back-up contact and address book information in a seamless process across multiple technologies including computers and smartphones.
And Tutor Technologies, several Pitt students who are designing the first intelligent tutoring system for computer science students with the latest math and science standards for 21st Century learning.
Source: AlphaLab companies; Terri Glueck, Innovation Works
Writer: Deb Smit
Image of Alpha Lab’s sixth class of companies courtesy of Innovation Works
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