Must-haves for the tech-savvy

By Ed Biado

Concept designs are great. We never know if they will ever see the light of day and thank God for the Internet, we get a peek into the world of the technologically advanced?even if they?re still fiction at this point. Here are the innovative designs that The Daily 10 found on the Web. And look out for an item or two listed below that?s not as far-fetched as this introduction implies.

1. Hourglass watch?Shaped like an hourglass, this LED watch designed by Balykin Pavel switches from its ?trickling sand? hourglass screensaver and digital display of time just by pressing a button.

2. Mission One motorcycle?This bike is a concept no more as sources say it?s soon to go into production. It?s powered by a lithium-ion battery (yes, the same one that?s in your phone) and is the fastest production motorcycle in the world. Pre-orders now available at the Mission One Web site.

3. B-IRON 725?Irons have never been fashionable or nice to look at. But all that may change if and when the B-IRON 725 goes into production. This concept iron is made transparent and heat is conducted through a network of wires inside the tempered glass soleplate.

4. Transparent bathtub?Another transparent concept, this bathtub is a Belgian lab project with interior design students. Its purpose is not only aesthetic, but also to remind people how much water they?re consuming by running the bath water.

5. Lego MP3 Player?This is not a Lego product and it?s uncertain if it?s even Lego-licensed. But this heavily Lego-based design for MP3 players is actually out in the market right now.

6. Ferrari F250?Last year, Ferrari unveiled an entry-level concept car that is a revival of the ?ancient? (by Ferrari standards) Dino model. The F250 runs on bio-fuel with a 2.5-liter V6 engine. With enough buzz and urging, Ferrari might just send this to the production line.

7. Ply design phone?Hideo Kanbara chose the name Ply because the phone looks like multi-layered plywood. Each layer has its own distinct function and can be slid out in different directions. And the features are mind-blowing!

8. Leaf?Going green is the theme of the Leaf concept phone with futuristic OLED display embedded in a translucent lens case. Formwelt Studio designed this piece using recyclable raw materials and makes use of sunlight as an energy source.

9. Solar?Meanwhile, Solar, another phone from Formwelt, uses solar cells for a self-sustaining energy supply. It has an eco-index for all-around greenness and an OLED touchscreen.

10. No-key Keyboard?A glass surface is what it seems but it?s a full-functioning QWERTY keyboard that detects motion and touch and translates it into the corresponding key. It?s the flattest keyboard with no protrusion whatsoever.