Spritz App

I would consider myself to be somewhat of a geek, I know that is quite a broad statement so let me clarify for you. When I was younger I could be found in the library reading Black Apple and Goosebumps books rather than out in the sunshine playing.

I would rather watch the Walking Dead than Sex and the City and I know how to use the internet properly (I know that sounds stupid but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t).

So when I heard about Spritz I was excited and dubious in equal measures. The idea behind the German made app is to increase the average reading speed from around 220 words per minute to an impressive 500.

On one hand I love reading and the prospect of being able to charge my way through all of the books on my wish-list is dreamy. On the other hand; as an English Literature graduate I feel that the sanctity of the written word is not one to be messed with. I mean, I’ve only just converted to a Kindle after years of battling with the decision.

So how does it work? Traditional books have lines of text which means that your eyes must move from left to right with your eyes identifying and then understanding each word. With Spritz there is a small window in which the words rapidly flash from one to the next meaning your eyes don’t need to move at all.

The crucial part of the app is word positioning, Frank Waldman, CEO of Spritz explains ‘rather than just running through words in quick succession, Spritz positions words around their central letter, the Optimal Recognition Point which is slightly to the left of each word.’

What this means, in layman’s terms, is that the words that flash up can be read without having to scan it in its entirety. The app is currently only available on Samsung devices but Waldman is currently in talks with Google, Amazon and Yahoo, so watch this space.

Just think about all those boring text books you could have whizzed through, or all the dull emails you would read in a fraction of the time! All the books that you claim to have read; you can actually read them all now and they’ll only take a couple of hours!

What do you think of the Spritz app? Will you find it useful or do you enjoy reading your books the old fashioned way?

Gif Source: www.pcadvisor.co.uk