PureDepth Multi-Layer Display- The Arrow and bullseye appears above the primary image to capture the attention and provide additional information.

Founded in New Zealand in 1999 and now headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., the company achieves its unique visual effect by embedding LCD displays within each other. It calls the approach Multi-Layer Display (MLD). By running these embedded screens parallel, the screens enhance each other, essentially "deepening" what viewers see.

A story on PureDepth MLD from TechNow

The Technology, the Uses

"People who read more and more complex data, simply can't sort it on traditional displays anymore--regardless of the pixel dimensions. PureDepth exponentially increases viewing area not by going bigger, but by going deeper." So says the company's site, so say we all.

No mere parlor trick, the PureDepth approach -- with 45 approved patents in its court -- allows users to absorb multiple streams of data. Doctors doing surgery could see several different sets of vitals as they navigate a patient's innards -- all on one monitor. Businesspeople could view all their financial numbers in one go. Couch potatoes could take advantage of a flat-panel television with an advanced interactive interface for navigating channels, making purchases and casting online votes.

A video overview of PureDepth showing multiple applications for the technology

Workers could more effectively multi-task, decluttering workspace by bringing all information to one monitor without the need to spread work across multiple displays or even stacked windows within a display. Graphic artists could use the top transparent display for palettes and the back window for editing.

The company anticipates applications of its technology in these fields and others, including cell phones, cameras, in-car navigation, kiosks, portable electronics, security, avionics, air-traffic control.

Pure Depth auto navigation prototype where route information and points of interest float above the main map. Coming soon to a german luxury car near you...

The company's site does the tech-geek version of all this best: "MLD displays overcome issues of convergence, motion parallax, and restrictions in the viewing angle common to most 3D displays. Convergence (the combination of left and right eye images) on PureDepth monitors is flawless, allowing for long duration viewing without loss of orientation. Correct convergence also allows for crisp images to be displayed in the full range of colors. Motion parallax (the relative movement and position of one object in front of or behind another) has been achieved without the need for head-tracking devices or limitations in the viewing area.

Licensing

Already, the company -- on a licensing quest -- has announced a five-year agreement with military equipment provider DRS Technologies, a deal with Sanyo to build gaming machines, and a worldwide contract with International Game Technology to use the technology in the company's video poker, bingo and slot machines. The Sanyo PureDepth displays hit Pachinko parlors in Japan (where the company has an office) this quarter.

Pure depth for gaming where the pay lines appear over the main image to enhance interactivity

The potential for info-rich clarity this technology promises could very well make it a natural fit for telepresence suites as well.

The Challenge

The company -- tanned, rested and ready after four years of R&D to work out the bugs -- has made the bet that PureDepth's unique approach will help to set it apart in the LCD display field. The market for LCD TV sales along is expected to hit $85 billion by 2010, up from $25 billion in 2005, if the chicken bone throwing of iSppli are to be believed. PureDepth itself anticipates a $23 billion helping of that pie each year for the rest of the decade from sales of medium and small (all the way down to cell-phone-size) displays.

PureDepth for medical - medical informatics appear over the image of a surgery in real time

That is, if the company can get consumers to bear the greater cost of the product. The LCD portion of displays make up 70 percent of the unit's total cost. With two LCDs in action, consumers may have to pay 1.8 times the cost of a regular LCD monitor.

TelePresence aims to be so realistic as to make conference-call participants believe the person talking on the monitor is in the same room. Multiple conversations can occur simultaneously, without awkward audio delays or jerky video.

Syd Garrett, a customer advocacy director who moved from Silicon Valley to North Carolina, brought in his teenage daughter and wife to reconnect with California friends and colleagues.

"I was talking with one of the other techie dads, and then the four girls chatting, giggling, interrupting each other, and finishing each other's sentences," Garrett said. "After a while, you forget that you aren't there."

Chief Globalization Officer Wim Elfrink, head of Cisco's new Globalization Center in Bangalore, India, encourages workers to book time on weekends, when the system is not used by engineers, salespeople or executives.

"I'm promoting it heavily," Elfrink said Tuesday night in a TelePresence interview with The Associated Press. "Two to three years from now, you'll see this in most hotels' business centers, and it will become the de facto standard."

Elfrink is installing TelePresence in his leased home in Bangalore. Despite the 13.5-hour time difference, he wants his administrative assistant in San Jose to get TelePresence in her office.

"I don't know if she'll like it," Elfrink joked, "but I think we might be able to stay in touch all day long."

[Via Seattle Post Intelligencer]

When it comes to productivity, the question isn't how much work you can stand to do for how long, but when you do it best. Break away from the myth of 9 to 5 as the only time to do work you'll likely uncover golden hours in the early morning or late night when your mind really takes off. These moments free your head from all the distractions and mental baggage of the day, making you more wakeful, alert and able to get things done.

Hack #1 - Listen to your internal clock

We may think of ourselves as cool and mysterious night owls or as eager, nose-to-the-grindstone early birds, but that don't mean jack do our internal clocks. Put aside your self-image for a moment and take an honest assessment of whether you're more alert and productive in the morning or at night. Alternate getting up early a few mornings or staying awake longer a few nights and see what works best for you.

Hack #2 - Get up Earlier/Stay up Later

Once you've figured out if you're a morning or a night person, see how far you can take either time. Get up at 6:30 a.m., then 6 a.m., and eventually 5 a.m., or stay up until 12:30 a.m., then 1 a.m., and work towards 2 a.m. Your body will tell you if it's working out or not.

Hack #3 - Be Consistent

Some claim they only get by on a few hours of sleep a night. Others say getting up at the same time every morning works like a charm. Figure out what works for you and once you stick with it, your body will do the rest.

Hack #4 - Nap at your own risk

It may be tempting to nap during the day when you're adjusting to your new sleeping schedule, but be warned: doze more than 20 minutes and you may have trouble getting to sleep at night. Also, nap consistently enough and your body will grow to expect naps and drop energy like ballast from a balloon when it doesn't get them.

Next time: Hack Your Sleep Pt. II, exploring ways to manage yourself in a sleep-hacked state.