Spreeder CX can import and accurately convert files with the following extensions.
Now you can speed read content from 46 file types!

  • abw
  • doc
  • docx
  • html
  • lwp
  • md
  • odt
  • pages
  • pages.zip
  • pdf
  • rst
  • rtf
  • sdw
  • tex
  • wpd
  • wps
  • zabw
  • cbc
  • cbr
  • cbz
  • chm
  • epub
  • fb2
  • htm
  • htmlz
  • lit
  • lrf
  • mobi
  • pdb
  • pml
  • prc
  • rb
  • snb
  • tcr
  • txtz
  • key
  • key.zip
  • odp
  • pps
  • ppsx
  • ppt
  • pptm
  • pptx
  • ps
  • sda
  • txt
Open
Continue
Open
Continue

The Blog

Develop Keyboarding Skills Early, Enjoy The Life-Long Benefits Of Touch Typing


Being efficient at touch typing as an adult can improve your personal and professional growth, while making your financial prospects look better than ever.

Touch typing is an essential skill today. Computers have almost replaced books. Pen and paper have given way to keyboard and screen. So it’s no surprise that the need to have above average-touch typing skills is more urgent than ever.

Start early, reap the benefits longer

While you can learn to touch type at any age, to fully enjoy the benefits of touch typing you need to start early. Learning how to touch type using the right technique is something you can – and should – start right now.

And of course, the faster you become at keyboarding, the more benefits you’ll enjoy.

Raising confident students

A child who learns to touch type will have the confidence and assertiveness to use technology to their advantage, whether that’s for typing an essay, researching a topic, or collaborating with students in their class in a virtual collaboration network.

When students are not intimidated by technology they’re also more receptive to learning more advanced skills like coding and web design. Imagine the advantages your child will have at school with their above-average keyboarding abilities!

Improving productivity and saving time

Many children today have little free time. Between school classes and hobbies and extracurricular activities, they find themselves constantly studying, learning, practicing.

However, with the right touch typing accuracy and speed, children can save hours every month, which they can use to play, relax or socialize with their peers. Keeping a work/play balance is important for kids as well as adults.

Making digital communication efficient

Whether communicating with relatives living far away or collaborating on projects with other students around the world, being good at touch typing means a student can use technology and social communication media to communicate efficiently and without any disruption or added stress.

Touch typing helps adults and students alike

The benefits of more efficient communication, confidence in using new technologies, and increased productivity aren’t just there for younger students.

As a college student, you’ll continue to reap the benefits of touch typing. You’ll be able to touch type essays and reports quickly, and collaborate on interdisciplinary projects with ease. You’ll stand out from the students around you by the efficiency with which you can study, learn, and grow into a smarter person.

Mastering touch typing continues to benefit you after graduation, too!

Do you want increased and better career prospects? Do you want to be more productive at work? Now that you’re a fast and accurate typist, you’re a step ahead of your colleagues, your supervisors are happy with your output, and you’re the first one that comes to mind when that promotion or raise is considered.

If you can save a few hours of touch typing a month as a student, imagine how much time you will free up just by touch typing at a faster pace.

How much of your job involves typing right now? Every increase in your typing speed and accuracy means hours saved over time. Double your speed, and you cut your typing time in half. What would you do with an extra hour (or more) at work, every day?

Come to think of it, what would you do with an extra hour each day of your life? Imagine the possibilities of using that time to improve some other skill, or learn a new one. Imagine having the time to pursue the dreams and ambitions that are burning in your heart.

Touch typing is more than a work skill – it’s a life skill. Teach your children how to touch type. Improve your own keyboarding skill as much as you can. The time to start benefiting from touch typing – is now!


Touch type your work and increase productivity with Typesy Now!

7 Books That You Must Read To Achieve Success


It is not easy to find success in life, but if you have the right knowledge and mindset, there is no reason why you cannot seek out your goals in life. To help you out, we have put together a list of seven books that you absolutely must read to achieve success.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey.

This is one of the best self-help books that you will find when you are looking to achieve success. The author informs the reader how the key to success is finding the right balance in your personal and professional life, change the way you perceive the world, and find ways to think more positively when faced with challenges. Whether you are a young college student or the CEO of a Fortunate 500 company, you are certain to improve your chances of success after reading this book.

What Makes the Great Ones Great: 16 Characteristics of a Champion by Don Yaeger.

The author of this self-help book asked more than 2,500 highly successful people how they managed to reach the top. The end result was a lot of inspiring motivational quotes and insights that focus on not merely being good but always seeking out more goals and challenges. The bottom line is that this book will show you to both get ahead in life and stay there. This is important stuff, so while you devote yourself to reading this book and learning the secrets to success, why not order high-quality essays from EduBirdie?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

A groundbreaking book written in 1937, it remains required reading at colleges and universities everywhere, especially in business schools. The key takeaway is that success comes when you are able to handle people the right way. This means making them appreciated rather than feeling used and using powers of persuasion to get them to see your point of view. If they see that you are being sincere, straightforward, and opening acknowledging your flaws even as you critique others, there will be mutual motivation to want to succeed together.

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko.

In this book, the authors interview wealthy, successful individuals – particularly those who live modest lives in spite of their money – to gain some insight into how they achieved success. The most important lessons for living a successful, satisfying life include living below your means and choosing a profession you feel passionate about it rather than for the social status. After all, success ought to be about financial independence and not about the need to compensate for insecurities.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

What makes this book stand out is that it does not dwell on unrealistic expectations nor does it offer empty promises. Instead, it is full of motivational thoughts related to how an individual’s success starts with a happy family life, satisfying profession and having a meaningful impact on the community. Success does not require you have superior intelligence, but it does mean having the right mindset. For example, if your dream is to write a book, one of the keys to success comes in being able to manage your time well rather than making excuses for why you can’t start.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves.

This is one of the more inspirational books because as the reader you begin to realize that the key to success is in the ability to develop the ability of self-reflection. As a result, you will have full control over your emotions and therefore will be equipped with the ability to identify problems and find resolutions that bring happiness. Furthermore, you will be able to understand why other people think the way they do and use that knowledge to further advance your success.

The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman.

This book targets success from a slightly different angle compared to the other books on this list. While it focuses on mental and physical aspects, the author also spends a great deal of time on the importance of spirituality when seeking success. She does not endorse any particular path of spirituality but suggests that an important element of success involves being at peace with yourself and finding a broader purpose beyond the wealth that success brings.


Author: Helen Birk 

SPREEDER: MY NEW FAVORITE THING EVER

We would like to say THANK YOU to Joe Merkel for his very honest review about Spreeder and for letting us re-post his writing.

Well, that’s probably a slight exaggeration. But if you’re like me, and suck at reading and retaining information, you’ll more than likely benefit from what I’m about to share.

It’s called Spreeder.

Their whole mission is to help people eliminate the “need” for subvocalization– the little voice in your head when you read.

Simply input your text, click “SPREED!”, adjust your settings, and click the play button.

They say the average reader can read/retain about 200 words per minute. For me, that’s likely around 150. But with Spreeder, I can easily retain 450 words per minute much better than I could have prior to my discovery.

They have a free and paid version. As frugal ol’ Joe, I’m just working with the free version for the time being. And it still works wonders.

To view the article, click here.

tDCS for Speed Reading

Before I mention how tDCS can benefit your reading speed you probably should know a little about tDCS If you already know about tDCS please skip the first paragraph.

Firstly, What Exactly is tDCS?

The electrical activity of certain cells in our body, such as nerve and muscle cells has always been a mystery to scientists. It is amazing that all the things that we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch are based on electrical impulses generated from cells. All our emotions, memories, behaviors, and moods are the result neural connections. All this is well organized and synchronized in our brain and spinal cord, which together make the central nervous system and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can seemingly enhance this system.

For over 100 years, people have been experimenting with electrical currents that can change the conduction of impulses between nerve cells, more recently people have learned how to benefit from it. tDCS is one of the most advanced approaches to external brain stimulation that has been well researched and shown some impressive results. tDCS works by delivering a very low electrical current stimulating specific areas of the brain through the scalp with two simple wet sponges, one sponge the cathode (positive current) and one the anode (negative current).

How Could It Help You Improve Reading Speed?

It’s worth noting that some scientists have noticed that tDCS not only increases reading speed, but most importantly improves the accuracy of reading at faster speeds. The cognitive functions tDCS improves are now being examined more thoroughly, however I’m going to give you my anecdotal results for improvement in my reading and comprehension. The tDCS kit I have purchased and recommend is the Omni Stimulator found at http://www.omnistimulator.com .

How to Use My tDCS Kit?

As stated my decision was to purchase the Omni Stimulator. Its simplicity for an average user makes it a simple choice and the price said grab me! It consists of a voltage regulation device, two cables, two sponge electrodes and a headband. You also have very detailed instructions on how to position the electrodes on the surface of your scalp in order to stimulate specific parts of the brain and get the desired result. For fast reading, scientists recommend the anodal stimulation of the border between the left temporal and left parietal region of the scalp. Firstly, I simply soaked the electrodes with the saline solution (for better conductivity than water) then placed the electrodes in their position and secured them with the headband. It was very easy to use. One thing you may notice when you turn the tDCS kit is a tingling sensation where the electrodes sit, this is just the small electrical current and you get used to it quite quickly.

My Personal Results

As a student, I recall using energy drinks and having what I called booster coffees (6 teaspoons of coffee in one cup) in order to keep my focus while studying for exams. If I had something like Omni tDCS kit at that time, I would have used that in its place and not been so jittery from all the caffeine. Today, my work requires skimming through a lot of content from which I have to notice and extract the sequences that are relevant to the particular problem I need to solve. I have been using the Omni device for the past 6 months, and there is a noticeable difference. My reading is definitely faster, and I think that is because it feels much easier than before. I used to get very tired, especially when reading technical language, and my reading speed used to slow down after a few working hours, not to mention the decrease in comprehension. I did notice results with my first use, but I did question whether this may have been the placebo effect like any good skeptic. However, after months of use I see that this little Omni tDCS kit really keeps me focused on my reading. It seemingly makes my mind clearer and although I still take breaks, I have noticed that they are becoming shorter and that my mind is getting refreshed and ready to work much faster than before.

Writing & Other Speed Readers Thoughts

I use the Omni Stimulator according to the instructions for speed reading, but what I have also noticed is a higher level of creativity while writing. I’m sure you have all experienced moments when you get stuck trying to find the right words to describe something, well that rarely happens to me now. Moreover, people I recommended the Omni Stimulator to in the speed reading field had similar feedback. Depending on their daily activities, some reported they were able to read faster, while others noticed a greater effect on reproducing the content they have read.

Conclusion

In conclusion I think that tDCS technology is fantastic for speed reading. Using my Omni Stimulator has definitely been worth it. I highly recommend grabbing a kit and giving it a shot.

For more information or to grab your Omni tDCS kit click here.

References

Thomson JM, Doruk D, Mascio B, Fregni F, Cerruti C. Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates efficiency of reading processes. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2015;9:114. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00114.

Turkeltaub PE, Benson J, Hamilton RH, Datta A, Bikson M, Coslett HB. Left lateralizing transcranial direct current stimulation improves reading efficiency. Brain Stimulation. 2012;5(3):201-207. doi:10.1016/j.brs.2011.04.002.

Brasil-Neto JP. Learning, Memory, and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2012;3:80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00080.

Scheldrup M, Greenwood PM, McKendrick R, et al. Transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates cognitive multi-task performance differentially depending on anode location and subtask. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2014;8:665. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00665.

How To Increase Your Reading Speed By A Factor Of Three

Speed reading is all the rage these days. We have little time and so much to read through that being able to read more without sacrificing comprehension is an essential skill more and more students and professionals want to master.

You can improve your reading speed and get up to 3 times faster, simply by letting go of reading habits you learned when you were a child and by adopting skills that are more … 21st century compatible, shall we say. Let’s dig in!

Read chunks of words, not word after word

At school you learned to read in a linear manner. Spell out every sound, syllable, and word before moving on to the next. It’s a great practice for children who are just starting to learn to read, but it’s not helpful when you want to read at 500 or 600 words per minute.

When we read we fixate our eyes on a particular area in front of us. To read faster you need to have the fewest number of fixation points per line as possible in order to read faster through each line. This is reading in saccades, jumping from one fixation point to the next in little bursts.

Each fixation act lasts as little as 0.25 of a second, so imagine how much improvement you will achieve by having only one or two fixation points per line! This will greatly improve your words-per-minute rate.

To achieve this you have to learn to use your peripheral vision when reading. Instead of fixating on a single word, focus your eyes in the blank space between two words so that you must read both the word on the left side of the space and on the right side at the same time.

After some time you’ll be able to read more than two words at once using your peripheral vision and by expanding your fixation area.

The only way is forward

Fixation is not the only problem when it comes to speed reading mastery. You also need to eliminate regression.

This is another leftover habit from when you were young and just starting out to read. You would spell out a word, and then instantly read the whole thing to get what you’re reading.

This habit as an adult, however, will completely ruin your speed reading potential. If you constantly back-skip to reread words and whole sentences because you weren’t paying attention, you’re spending too much time. It is estimated that about one third of your reading time is spent rereading stuff  you just read either because you consciously didn’t get it the first time, or because it is something your brain is still trying to process in the old letter-by-letter method.

Either way, you need to reduce regression to a minimum in order to read more in less time. What you can do:

– Prevent yourself from re-reading a phrase of word – unless of course you absolutely have to!

– Use a pointer to keep your reading speed at a high level. Using your index finger, your cursor, or a pen will force your eyes to read faster. Of course, to achieve this you first need to increase your focus and alertness so that every phrase you read is understood and you can move on to the next without backtracking.

By eliminating these two bad habits of regression and vocalization you will be able to read at as much as three times your current reading rate. Remember, speed reading takes practice and the more you practice the faster you will read!


Spreeder is designed to be the world’s most powerful speed e-reading tool that contains the basic course of learning how to speed read. 

Seven Sets of Words to Use, Not Confuse

Because many word pairs in English are homophones (words that sound alike), some mistakes that people make when speaking aren’t noticeable to others. For example, if we were to tell you that today its cold outside or our dog lost it’s collar yesterday you wouldn’t know that we had used the wrong version of its / it’s in those two phrases. However, if we had written those phrases in a letter or e-mail, you would have noticed right away, and would probably have started doubting that we really know what we’re talking about when it comes to English vocabulary, if we made such an obvious mistake! There are many pairs of words in English that are often confused due to their pronunciation, their spelling, or both. If you’re one of the many people who are confused by them, you’re at risk of seeming less knowledgeable when you make those mistakes. Here are seven word pairs to learn – correctly – by heart:

forward / foreword

Moving forward means “moving ahead.” A moving foreword is a preface or introduction to a book that causes an emotional reaction. We’re giving you the extra word pair here of two definitions of the word moving as well.

averse / adverse

If you really don’t want to dye your hair blue, it might be because you’re averse to making such a radical change in your appearance; that is, you’re unwilling to dye your hair. You might also be reluctant to do it because it would have an adverse (negative, detrimental) effect on your chances of a promotion at work.

counsel / council

We would counsel (advise, suggest) that you take some time to study the local ordinances before running for a seat on the town council (a group of people elected as administrators).

advise / advice

In the previous sentence, we gave you a piece of advice. The verb to advise means to counsel someone, or to share your knowledge to help another person. The noun advice describes what it is you’ve told that person.

discreet / discrete

If you’re advising someone on a sensitive issue, you should be discreet (subtle, cautious, unobtrusive). The word discrete, which is pronounced the same way, means “separate, individual, not connected.”

inflammable / flammable

Unlike the other word pairs in this post, these two adjectives both mean “able to be burned.” The adjective nonflammable is the one to use when you want to describe something that can’t be burned.

viscous / vicious

These two words are frequently misspelled and mispronounced. The adjective viscous (pronounced VIHS-cuss) describes a sticky, thick liquid, like glue or honey. The adjective vicious (pronounced VIH-shuhs) means fierce, angry, or cruel.

Stick with your daily vocabulary study and you’ll keep moving forward towards your goal of English vocabulary improvement!


Vocab1 guarantees to help you increase your vocabulary knowledge! Learn more words and apply them in your writings.

How Improving Your Touch Typing Skills Will Help You

Everyone keeps telling you how touch typing will improve your career prospects and give you an edge over other candidates who suffer from sloppy writing filled with typos. But has anyone really explained exactly how touch typing helps you on a practical level? Here’s how:

Productivity boost

Touch typing saves you a lot of time. While other people use the old “hunt and peck” method to write a report, you’re done in half that time and use the spare time to focus on a personal project, negotiating with a potential new big client, or doing some extra work to get that raise.

Touch typing doesn’t only help you finish your work on time, it gives you time to learn new skills, hone existing ones, and of course pursuit new projects and expand your network in beneficial ways.

It’s a health matter

Bad posture and counterproductive keyboard positioning can leave your neck stiff, your shoulders sore, and your wrist joints hurting. Touch typing is not only about typing with lightning speed, it’s also about the correct sitting posture, the correct hand and finger placement, and the ability to use your motor skills effectively so that you won’t have to look down your keyboard every few seconds to find the correct key.

Clear communication, uninterrupted flow

Poor typing habits means your thoughts are interrupted each time you accidentally press the wrong key on your keyboard. Touch typing gives you an advantage in that you get to type as fast as your thoughts pour in. In two words: torrential productivity. With unimpeded typing you are able to focus on your ideas, and spending your time processing and refining them.

Instead of wasting your time proofreading your work for misspellings and typos, you have more time to fine-tune your ideas and present top notch work.

Professional image

Proficient touch typists have a very low rate of typos because apart from typing speed they also have mastered their typing accuracy. Fewer typos means fewer chances of the entire Internet someone finding embarrassing typos, such as the notorious digital typo by Amanda Hess.

Have you been convinced to start learning how to touch type yet?

How to Remove DRM from Kindle Books by Pluto Pavlov

Everyone is asking “How can we read Kindle Books to an e-reading device especially with speed reading capability software?”

Well, we should worry no more! Pluto Pavlov has created a video tutorial that might help everyone with the dilemma.

1) Watch YouTube video “How to Remove DRM from Kindle Books” by Pluto Pavlov, published 1/1/2014.

2) Download and install calibre ebook management software from calibre-ebook.com/download

3) Download and install DeDRM Tools 6.5.2 from https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/dedrm-tools-6-5-2-released/. Apprentice Alf’s Blog contains several useful posts.

4) Follow directions on YouTube video above to install DeDRM plugin for calibre.

5) Follow directions on YouTube video to drag and drop Kindle ebook into calibre. This will automatically remove DRM from the Kindle ebook.

6) Convert the Kindle ebook to EPUB format. In Page Setup, set Input Format as “Kindle” and Output Format as “iPad”, but other settings may work as well.

The Benefits of Using the Best Speed Reading Software (Guest Post)

Speed reading software teaches people to read articles and documents quickly, and helps them learn how to instantly scan and comprehend text line by line instead of word by word. The best speed reading software teaches this important technique, and such software will also have other benefits. For example, the best speed reading software is easy to use, and so can be used by anyone regardless of their age or educational background. For instance, a post graduate student can use it and get good results, and a high school student can also use it for their learning needs. Another benefit the best software provides is that the user is able to access the application from any computer; they can learn anywhere, at any time, as long as they have a computer or laptop.

The most obvious benefit of the best speed reading software is that it increases the user’s reading speed when they use it. A person can increase their reading speed by up to three times each week by regular practice. The more times a person uses the application the more they increase their reading speed. The best reading speed software is also has easy to follow instructions, enabling the user to adjust a wide range of parameters to suit their own learning style. The user can also reinforce all the techniques that are important for becoming an efficient reader. A speed reader is able to do a lot of reading faster and so will enjoy the reading process.

The best speed reading software is a learning tool and combines both physical and physiological methods. These methods should be supported by empirical evidence attesting to the fact that they work, and that the exercises have practical utility. Another major benefit from the best speed reading software is that it provides additional exercises after each reading lesson that keep the user’s brain in good overall shape. The exercise enables the user to learn to think and answer based on the reading done previously. The exercises are useful as they help to practise for exams or interviews, giving the user the experience of how to answer questions based on previous study. The best speed reading software also offers a range of exercises that are based on the readings made in the chapter or unit.

The best speed reading software promotes learning by providing instantaneous feedback. The reason this is important is because the user can examine if they have benefited or learnt something from the reading exercises just completed. The more questions in the exercises the user can answer the more they understand or comprehend the reading. The reading speed of the user is also another feedback point, showing how it increases or improves with time. Good speed reading software allows the users to comment on how much knowledge they have gained. The best speed reading software also has many tracking tools and reports that are useful and accurate. This provides proof of the credibility of the speed reading software.

The best speed reading software also has interactive games and learning tasks for the students. The games and learning tasks help the students to take a break from the more intensive reading exercises, and enhances their memory and understanding of the reading material in fun ways. They engage the students and encourage them to participate in the games and learning tasks, thus enabling learning to continue despite the break. Games are useful as students love games and also play them willingly. Therefore, offering users the opportunity to engage in games and learning tasks as they read enable them to improve their reading, as they are eager to find more games. The users can also enjoy stories that are present in the software. The best software will provide stories that are based on a wide variety of topics.

The best speed reading software also provides a wide range of programs that are designed professionally. These programs are calibrated in order to meet the needs of the individual and groups using the software. The user is also able to pursue a curriculum that is structured, focused and designed by the user on their own.

Anyone can benefit from the best speed reading software as it improves comprehension and understanding of the reading. This is because such a software product has interactive games, stories, exercises and learning tasks that aid in understanding as they provide a practical example to the theory discussed. It also helps the users to train their eyes and brains from one step to another. The best speed reading software also provides results that are guaranteed. The software is parent-friendly and customizable thus can be adjusted to meet the needs of the user.


Cross-posted on the 7 Speed Reading blog.

The Single Most Important Rule For Double Letters

There are many words in English that differ by only one letter, and when it’s the same letter repeated, it’s easy to get confused. However, English pronunciation comes to the rescue to help with English spelling rules, and there’s an easy way to tell the difference between words that have a single letter and words that have a doubled letter: the sound of the vowel. Learning the pronunciation of a word helps you know which to use to get the word you want.

Take a look at these word pairs and their pronunciations:

scraping / scrapping
(SKRAY-ping / SKRAH-ping)

waging / wagging
(WAY-jing / WAH-ging)

hoping / hopping
(HOH-ping / HAW-ping)

doting / dotting
(DOH-ting / DAW-ting)

diner / dinner
(DAI-nuhr / DIH-nuhr)

caped / capped
(KAYPT / KAHPT)

In each of the pairs, the first word is pronounced with a “long” vowel sound in the first syllable – that is, it has the sound of the letter itself: a = AY, i = AI, o = OH.

In the second words of each pair, the doubled consonant has changed the vowel from a “long” vowel sound to a “short” vowel sound: a = AH, i = IH, o = AW.

Note: In today’s post we focused on single and double consonants, but there are also ways to use pronunciation to help with doubled vowels. We’ll look at those in another post.