In my experience, I have found that over the years we all seek out ways to get things done faster. Whether it is using a GTD application to plow through our tasks or using our smartphones to communicate faster with friends, friendly and colleagues. If you have ever been tasked with reading hundreds of emails on a daily basis (I'll raise my hand!), or simply looking to read your content faster such as documents, books, memos, or texts, then the developer behind Convertly and ARKick offers their solution. Their latest release is called Bolt – Fast Reader. It aims to not only improve your reading speed, but does so with your own content.

Now speed reading applications have been around for a bit, we've previously discussed Turbo Reader. This speed reading application offers different functionality and experience that still aims to increase the rate at which we read by using a simple technique. It displays the words on the screen at intervals that the user can control. Basically, it flashes one word at a time while having the reader gaze at a specific focal point, which in this case is a particular letter. The default speed, or words per minute, is set at 220. However, users may go into settings to adjust that to a more comfortable level and slowly increase as time goes on.

As mentioned earlier, Bolt utilizes your own content to give customers a focused reading experience. It does so by having the text shared to the application or by importing from your clipboard. For instance, if you are reading an article in the BlackBerry Browser and you wish to read it in Bolt there are two ways. First, you can copy and select specific text, tap on the share button, and select Bolt from the menu. The second method is that you can copy the text, launch Bolt, and then tap on the clipboard icon at the bottom, enter in a name and choose either Read Now or Read Later. Depending on the size it may take a few moments to load. Once the text is in Bolt, it will remain there for you to read at any time. These instructions apply to any other document, webpage, email, or text you may wish to copy and read later. However, you cannot share a webpage to the application.

Once your text is loaded, you are presented with three options. You could tap on pronounce to have it speak the text in one of five different languages, tap on controls to start the speed reading process, or tap on meaning (for a particular word) and it will give you the definition, how it is used in a sentence, and links to Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary for more details. In addition, while in reading mode you have the option to play, pause, navigate through words, and reset a document to the beginning. Finally, at the bottom of the text the application will display the time required for reading the selected document.

Features

  • Easily share text from anywhere to Bolt and instantly start Fast Reading.
  • Share a word to Bolt, and it will give you the definition, usage examples and more.
  • Save a text/document for reading later.
  • Pronounce words in 5 different languages (English, Spanish, French, German and Italian).
  • Directly read text that is currently on the clipboard
  • Change the WPM (Words per minute) speed to read at a comfortable pace.
  • Smart Reading Algorithm which automatically knows when to slow down and when to speed up.
  • Gives progress of the documents currently being read to keep a track of your reading.
  • Gives time required for reading the selected document.
  • Play/Pause/Next/Prev Controls to navigate around in the document.
  • Smart adjustment of focal point.
  • Save words in a personal Dictionary for later use.
  • Links to a selected words' Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary pages.
  • Clean and minimal UI/UX optimized especially for fast reading.
  • Supports BlackBerry Z10, Z30, Z3, Q10, Q5, Classic and Passport.

Once you get past the learning curve of seeing one word at a time at a set rate, your eyes will acclimate to their Fast Reading method. Bolt - Fast Reader is available for all BlackBerry 10 handsets for $1.99.

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