Spritz: transforming the way we read?

Earlier this month a new piece of technology was launched by Spritz which aims to dramatically change the way we consume printed content. The Spritz system basically fast-streams one word at a time so your eyes don't have to flicker back-and-forth (movements called saccades) to find the point where your brain can properly process them. The app, which will be available on some smartphones, can be customised to suit your own pace displaying from 250 to 1000 words per minute.

The key to the success of Spritz is to stop the eye wandering on the page. When you read, your eyes seek out the Optimal Recognition Point of each word (OPR). This technology works out the OPR and highlights this letter in red further assisting the word recognition process. According to Spritz, only 20 percent of our time ‘reading' actually involves taking in content and during the other 80 percent our eyes wander around the page.

There are definitely downsides. Sneeze and you might miss five words! And it definitely takes some of the leisurely enjoyment out of reading. But I think it could well have a place and I could have probably used it to good effect in my student days. Imagine if you've got an English literature assignment due and need to read War and Peace in 10 hours? Spritz could make that happen.

Have a go and see what you think. www.spritzinc.com