I'm sure that you've heard somebody say that they don't like to spend time reading books anymore. Well, I don't blame them. Our world is filled with wonderful distractions such as smartphones, gaming consoles, giant screen TVs, movie theaters... Why would anybody bother wasting their time doing something that, frankly, is so very last century?

But what if we didn't have to spend as much time reading, yet consume the same amount of information? What if the words on the page were suddenly tossed into our brains and retained faster than ever before? What if we could allow our smart devices do most of the reading for us? What if we barely had to move our eyes? There are so many what ifs when it comes to the possibility of changing the way we consume words on a "page."

In fact, I would say that reading has been rejuvenated and repopularized by mobile devices. And to be honest, I love to read but I don't have a lot of time to do it. I typically listen to novels. But there's nothing like taking the time to paint a picture in your mind about what you're reading. Perhaps our brains need breathing room to turn words into beautiful worlds. Consuming something too fast might not allow for us to become creators but rather allow for us to become consumers. When we slowly paint a picture in our minds we are exercising different parts of our brain.

New technology like Spritz allows for our brains do what they do best which is interpret, process, and retain information. The creators behind Spritz figured out that focusing our attention on centered words allows for us to pay close attention to each word that pops up. When the speed is cranked up to around 500 words per minute it's still possible to read each word that pops up because our brains are able to keep up! All it takes is a little relaxation and focus.

I can see technology like this being used in smart watches. I can also see it becoming the new way to consume news and articles. All you'd have to do is press a Spritz-It button at the top of an article and after a brief countdown, you'd be on your way (that's how I'd have work it anyway). I think it could change the way students study. It might even encourage them to read chapters of a schoolbook for retention purposes (something that is loathed among students). It would not, however, be good for carefully studying different concepts within a chapter. In other words it's not good for everything, just some things. But I'll tell you what, I certainly would love to have this right now and if I could, I'd have a Spritz-It button at the top of this article so you wouldn't have to spend so much time reading all these words.

By: Alex Zarnoski | @ajazz16 | Crappy Comics

Last night I watched Hawking on PBS. I was almost certain that I'd be listening to the buttery vocals of Benedict Cumberbatch for most of the broadcast. Instead, I was surprised to find Cumberbatch behind the camera being interviewed. He apparently portrayed Stephen Hawking in a biopic. I am accustomed to watching Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking where Cumberbatch and Hawking's iconic robotic voice beautifully overlap. This wasn't the case. Hawking narrated the entire hour and it was refreshing. He told the world about his interesting yet tragic life dealing with ALS through the one device that has enabled him to communicate his theories behind some of the biggest mysteries of the universe. 

I'm always looking for new ways to learn about the universe. By coincidence or more honestly by my app alerts on AppShopper.com, I had been notified that Stephen Hawking's Snapshots of the Universe went on sale. So, I bit. I read half of it in one sitting! It's filled with text and mini games that help explain the basic concepts behind the universe's most noticeable laws like gravity and space-time. I'm not going to give you a full review here, but you should check it out for yourselves, iOS users. Here's a quick book factoid: I am privileged to live in the same small town where Kitty Ferguson once lived. She has written a few books about Hawking and spent a lot of time interviewing him. Her works include Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind and Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything.

I have an intense interest in cosmology, in physics, and in some of the same mysteries that are driving the leading minds in science. I grew up with and was influenced by family members who were/are mathematicians and who are science-minded. Stephen Hawking is one of the few people in his field (Michio Kaku included) that are able to help us non-physicists understand quantum physics, black holes, multiverses and a long list of discoveries that are helping to sculpt the theory of everything.

By: Alex Zarnoski | @ajazz16 | Ajazz Tech

If you love reading manga, chances are you've discovered new foods that you've never even heard of. "The Manga Cookbook: Japanese Bento Boxes, Main Dishes and More!" is an excellent way to become acquainted with your favorite characters' everyday way of eating. Chances are it's already going to be healthy as most Japanese food is. However, you might not want to follow the eating habits of Vash the Stampede or you'll put on a few pounds.

By: Alex Zarnoski | @ajazz16 | Ajazz Tech