The new study, in the journal Cerebral Cortex, found that nearly a quarter of the variability in achievement seen among men and women trained on a new video game could be predicted by measuring the volume of three structures in their brains.

pre-existing individual differences in the brain might predict variability in learning rates, the authors wrote.

Such information might be useful in education, where longer training periods may be required for some students, or in treating disability or dementia, where information about the brain regions affected by injury or disease could lead to a better understanding of the skills that might also need attention

Software originally designed to help blind people read electronic books could turn the emerging e-reader industry on its head, according to its inventor.

His vision is to use free software to turn any device into an e-reader, from a PC to a smartphone and from netbooks to tablet computers.

"Our aim is to disrupt the e-reader business model and bring the best of the web and bring the best of print together in one model," said Mr Chapman.

kids spend almost as much time on a computer, watching television, using their cell phones, playing video games or listening to music as an adult spends during a full day at work.

The only type of media usage that has not increased is reading

the children who spend their time consuming so much media seem to have a harder time in school