Last minute cramming for that exam just got a whole lot easier. A recently released app entitled Spritz allows its users an increase in reading speed. The average person can read between 120 and 200 words per minute, but Spritz claims that its technology could help users read up to 1,000 words per minute. That speed would allow a reading of Leo Tolstoy’s lengthy War and Peace – 580, 000 words – in just nine and a half hours.
The people behind the Boston-based Spritz Inc. had been developing the application stealthily for three years prior to its release. They explain that around 80 percent of reading time is spent moving our eyes from word to word. To eliminate this, the application allows its readers to keep their eyes in the same place, while each word is flashed on the screen with its most important letters in the same position and bolded.
Frank Waldman, founder and CEO of Spritz Inc. explains the efficacy of the app: “placing each word in a spot where you don’t have to move your eye saves you a lot of time, and that time, your brain can use to process the word you just read, and prepare for reading and recognizing the next word. And so, by placing the word for you in a streaming text display, you’re able to increase your reading speed effortlessly.” The app is designed for smaller screens, removing the inconvenience of scrolling. It is also meant to be extremely simple to use, requiring only five minutes to learn.
Whether comprehension levels remain consistent when reading so quickly is an issue up for debate – as is the necessity of this application.
To learn more and to try Spritz out for yourself, follow this link. Happy speed reading!
Frank Waldman Quote: http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/03/14/spritz-speed-reading
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