With the number of laptops I reinstall Windows on every day constantly on the rise, I’ve been looking for applications that might help boost my pitiful short-term memory - for some reason, my boss frowns upon me playing Brain Age at work.

And since 6AM isn’t the best time to be shouting at something in my house (toddler, wife, etc.), I need something a bit more quiet to help me practice. Speed Read may be just the app for the job.

The idea is very simple: display the number of words you choose at a specified interval to improve your ability to recall groups of words and maintain attention to the subject. Speed Read will display text from any text file and comes packaged with 51 sample files.

You can, of course, add your own, which is a good idea. If you’re serious about practicing, you may as well be reading something you enjoy. As your skill improves, increase the number of words displayed and turn up the speed to keep the exercise challenging.

It works quite well, and after sticking with it for about a week I definitely notice an improvement already in my ability to read quickly - and remember.

[ via Softpedia ]
Source: feeds.downloadsquad.com