karaoke
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Apple TV devices now recognize up to six different voices
Apple TV 4K and HD now recognize your voice to customize your Siri searches.
Apple Music now offers a karaoke mode
Apple Music now has a karaoke feature, Sing, that lets you handle the vocals.
Tesla is selling a microphone for in-car karaoke, but only in China
The TeslaMic arrives alongside a new karaoke platform for the infotainment system.
Twitch's karaoke competition returns with a record deal prize
Twitch's $20,000 karaoke contest is returning for a second season. The online singing competition for karaoke-style title Twitch Sings is open from today until Monday 5th August. Contestants can submit their audition videos here, and an internal team at Twitch will select the top 15 entrants to compete live over the course of five weeks.
Tesla's dashboard Sketchpad is getting an upgrade
Aside from the many games that are available on Tesla dashboards, drivers have enjoyed plenty of other easter eggs over the years. Since it arrived two years ago, in-the-know Tesla owners have used the infotainment system's Sketchpad to doodle on the screen while they're, for instance, waiting for the battery to charge. Today, the company said it's bringing more features to the tool in its next software update.
The Carpool Karaoke microphone is pretty pointless
When senior mobile editor Chris Velazco and I go to California to cover Google I/O, one thing keeps me sane -- our in-car karaoke (caraoke?) sessions. We're both showtunes nerds, so belting out songs from Wicked or Les Miserables really makes our time stuck in Silicon Valley traffic more tolerable. So naturally, when I heard about a product aimed at improving these vehicular singing sessions, I jumped.
Twitch officially debuts its free karaoke game
Twitch is finally ready to launch its first game after months of testing. The free karaoke-style title Twitch Sings will debut worldwide today (April 13th), giving you a chance to belt out tunes for a large audience. While there is an offline mode, the game is designed from the ground up to involve an entire Twitch channel. Streamers can invite broadcasters in for duets, while viewers can request one of the 1,000-plus songs, cheer to start light shows and issue challenges (say, singing like they're underwater).
Twitch is running a $20,000 karaoke contest
Back at TwitchCon in October, Twitch announced a karaoke game called Twitch Sings. Think of it as SingStar or Rock Band, except you're performing to a real audience. It's still in beta (and should have a proper release soon), though Twitch is already running a contest with a $20,000 prize at stake.
Electric Jukebox has a new music streaming karaoke machine
You might recall the Electric Jukebox, a wand-style microphone and streaming stick that let you sing along to a Spotify-style music catalog at home. The company is still around — in fact, according to Music Ally, its first device sold out five weeks after launch — and is back with a new version called the Roxi. The basic concept is the same: For £199/$199, you get all of the necessary hardware (you'll need your own TV, however) and a one-year subscription to its music library, which boasts "tens of millions" of tracks. Once the year is up, you'll need to pay £52/$52 every 12 months.
Japan has some exclusive PSVR titles, but you're not missing much
Sony's lineup of games and demos is often slightly different depending on the region. It's something you may have noticed with PlayStation's VR debut in both Europe and the US -- and that's even more true for Japan. The virtual reality headset launched in Sony's homeland with several titles on the PlayStation Store that are not available elsewhere. While standalone (much less stand-out) games are few, there are still handful of experiences that are only playable with a Japanese PlayStation account. Fortunately for you, I've got one, and have played through some of this Japan-only content. From awkward teacher role-play with a Japanese schoolgirl, to anime J-Pop idol concerts, digitized musicians, Godzilla and virtual karaoke rooms (!), these regional exclusives very much cater to the locals. Here's how they fared over a weeklong playthrough. (Factoring in some time for Rez Infinite, of course.)
New Kickstarter sandbox Identity promises 'complete freedom and a focus on player interaction'
Who's ready for some new Kickstarter MMOs for 2015? How about an ambitious modern-day sandbox? That'd be Identity, an MMO by indie studio Asylum Entertainment, headed up by Mortal Online vet John "Paratus" VanderZwet. The game promises a dynamic, player-run open world, player-driven economy, player housing, minigames like karaoke and paintball, and what sounds like open PvP complete with "player police force, gangs, cartels, [and] businesses." The title's business model isn't discussed in detail, but it appears to be buy-to-play; VanderZwet says it won't have a sub and won't be pay-to-win: "We hate 'pay to win' games as much as anybody, and will always ensure that items and upgrades purchased with real money will not give a notable advantage in-game." A 10 CAD pledge is the cheapest with game access; pledges run all the way up to 5000 CAD. Asylum is seeking 150,000 CAD. Closed beta has not been announced, but pledge awards are scheduled for "delivery" by December 2016.
iRig Voice and EZ Voice app want to make you a star
IK Multimedia hit the market with the iRig Mic three years ago, a mic for podcasting and recording that plugged into the headphone port of your favorite iOS device and allowed for real-time monitoring. At the time, I wasn't impressed with the device; there were some issues with shielding and the recording quality just wasn't that good. Tomorrow, IK Multimedia will be releasing the iRig Voice microphone (US$39.99), a similar mic that's targeted at just having fun with vocals. Let's take a look at the iRig Voice and the companion EZ Voice app (free with in-app purchases). Specifications Microphone type: condensor electret with built-in windscreen Polar pattern: unidirectional and cardioid Frequency response: 100 Hz - 15 kHz, -3dB Maximum sound pressure (set for high sound pressure): 105 dB Distortion: 3 percent THD at 105 dB, 1 kHz Powered through headphone port, features pass-through port for monitoring Microphone Type: condenser electret Colors: Green, blue, yellow, pink, white Functionality Highlights: These low-cost microphones and the accompanying EZ Voice app are designed for fun, and in that respect they do a wonderful job. Once you've plugged in the iRig Voice, you can use it with most recording and podcasting apps. But anybody who likes to have fun will use EZ Voice. The app is very simple to operate and lets you do a bunch of fun things with the music already on your device. Import any song, tap "No Voice", and the primary vocals for that song are muted so you can now sing along for karaoke fun or practice singing with the original band in the background. Should you decide to, you can add autotune (a $0.99 in-app purchase) to make sure that your singing sounds at least something like the original vocalist's. Autotune is one of several effects that can be purchased, including choir, morph, level, chorus, EQ, delay, filter and reverb. The entire bag of tricks can be had for US$4.99 instead of making eight purchases at $0.99 (reverb is added for free when you register). During my "audition" of iRig Voice and EZ Voice, I decided that I really wanted to try out the "No Voice" feature so I picked a recording from my iTunes library ("Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty, a Seventies classic), imported it with a tap, stripped the vocals, then tapped the "target" button to get started. After a short countdown, the instrumentals started and I jumped in at the right point. This is a wonderful way to practice for those karaoke nights so you won't sound like a complete buffoon. I found that if I used the "arena" preset that's built into the basic EZ Voice, it gave just enough reverb and "space" to my voice that it sounded like it fit right into the song. It took a little time to figure out how to keep the de-voiced audio quiet enough to keep from deafening me but loud enough to balance my voice -- but that was part of the fun. Doing that also let me capture the timing of the vocals in the original song. There are some other presets that you can use just for the heck of it that are included in EZ Voice that are going to make you want to spend that $4.99 and buy the entire batch. I'll spare you my karaoke singing, but here are a few fun little riffs on "The Unofficial Apple Weblog" run through the VoxOder and Glam effects: One thing you want to make sure of before playing around with the EZ Voice app is that you have the iRig Voice or another mic plugged in or you may get a horrendous amount of feedback. Trust me on this one -- it sounds like a fire alarm going off! This happened when I had my Mophie Juice Pack case installed on the iPhone, but not when I took it off, so your mileage may vary. I was going to complain about the total lack of instructions that come with the iRig Voice except for one that shows -- through pictures -- how to plug everything in, but then realized that most people never read instructions anyway. Someone who just wants to have fun with the iRig Voice is going to plug it into their favorite iOS device and start playing around, and that's the best way to learn how to use it. Conclusion Unlike some of its sibling mics at IK Multimedia, the iRig Voice is designed for one thing -- fun. The low cost of entry, free (at least for some purposes) EZ Voice app, splashy colors, solid metal construction and ability to do voice training or karaoke with songs from your iTunes library all add up to a product that anyone can enjoy. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway You've heard about the fun you can have with the iRig Voice; now here's your chance to win one from IK Multimedia and TUAW. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before June 22, 2014 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive an iRig Voice microphone from IK Multimedia and TUAW valued at $39.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
IRL: Singtrix karaoke machine
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. When the Singtrix karaoke machine made its debut at Engadget's Expand NY event, its creators boldly claimed the diminutive device could make "bad singers sound great." So what can it do for absolutely terrible singers like yours truly? I spent a few days with the volume set high and the shades drawn low to find out.
Just Sing It update polishes the best social karaoke app for singers, fans
If you enjoy music and are not using Just Sing It, you are missing out. Just Sing It is a social karaoke app that allows you to sing your favorite songs and post them to your profile for the world to hear. Singing is a big component of the app, but Just Sing It is more than just a karaoke app. There's also a robust social network that allows you to follow your favorite singers and have them follow you back. You can sing and chat for fun or use the app to promote your singing career. If you are not deep into singing, you can still hang out with favorite singers, listen to their music and play a guessing game that challenges you to listen to a clip of a song and guess its title. Just Sing It debuted earlier this year and accrued more than 1 million user-generated songs in the first month after it launched. Called the Instagram of karaoke because of its ability to socialize with other singers, the app was recently overhauled to make it easier to share songs and reward singers that you enjoy. Released today, version 2.0 of Just Sing It adds some creativity to the singing side of the app, allowing you to make up your own songs and add cover albums to your tracks. There's also some cool, new filters to let you change up the sound of your voice. For singers on the shy side (like me), there is an option to sing privately or publicly. Version 2.0 of Just Sing also made it easier to find and network with other singers. There's a new billboard feature that'll highlight the top singers and a social feed to keep up to date with your followers. If you enjoy a song, you can "like" it or share on Twitter, Facebook or via SMS. If you want to get more personal, you can send a message to the singer or show your appreciation by giving them a gift of diamonds that they can use to earn iTunes credits. The diamonds are available via an in-app purchase with prices starting at US$1.99 for 10 diamonds. It takes 250 diamonds to earn a $10 iTunes reward. Just Sing It is a wonderful social network for the musically inclined. Performers can use the app to showcase their talent, while music lovers can enjoy the conversation, games and the variety of music recorded by the singers. The Just Sing It app is available for free.
Guitar Hero dudes team up for Singtrix, hope to make your singing less terrible
If there's one theme running through the work of Kai and Charles Huang, it's the notion that an utter lack of musical ability shouldn't be enough to keep you from realizing your rock and roll fantasies. The team behind Guitar Hero have joined forces once again with the guys behind Drumscape, a sit-down arcade simulator that was formerly incorporated into the wildly success music game series. This time out, things are decidedly less competitive. No one's keeping track of the score, instead, Singtrix is more of a party box - an all-in-one karaoke machine that can, among other things, make you a less terrible singer. The system features a mic and a (relatively) compact 40-watt, 2.1 speaker with a built-in woofer. The box has some 300 different vocal effects styled after different genres and musical era, and standard stage effects like reverb and delay. There are also three levels of pitch correction, which are likely the biggest selling point for those who might otherwise be mortified to stand up front of a crowd, mic-in-hand. And this is 2013, so the company's got a tie-in app for iOS, Android and the Kindle Fire, naturally, which features more than 13,000 songs and lyrics for the full karaoke experience. There's also 3.5mm jack on the box, so you you can plug your device right into the speaker.
Singing Machine wants to elevate your late-night karaoke party
Money can't buy you class, but it can buy you this classy looking karaoke machine. Starting later this month, the Singing Machine Home will be available for $299 via Best Buy, online and in stores. The orb-like Bluetooth speaker doubles as a karaoke machine when connected to your TV. It also comes with a wireless remote/mic that lets you browse a subscription-based library of some 8,000 songs, and croon to your guests without the threat of tripping over pesky wires while serving Sinatra. Of course, you could just use your gaming console of choice to embarrass yourself in front of your friends. For more details, check out the full press release after the break.
Wii Karaoke U goes open mic in Europe on October 4
Wii Karaoke U will take center stage in Europe as a free app on the Nintendo eShop on October 4, a Nintendo press release has revealed. The game, developed by JOYSOUND, will feature 1,500 songs at launch, with more on the way later. Although Wii Karaoke U itself is free, the game's virtual tickets will cost real-world money. You can buy a one-hour ticket for £1.79, a 24-hour ticket for £4.49 or a 30-day ticket for £13.49. Once you do, you'll have a ticket to ride, yes you'll have a ticket to ri-ii-ide. So don't stop believin', you jukebox heroes.
Wii Karaoke U app brings pay-by-hour harmonies to Europe in 2013
Nintendo of Europe announced this year's upcoming release of Wii Karaoke U by Joysound, a downloadable karaoke streaming service for the Wii U console. Originally released as a WiiUWare launch title in Japan, Wii Karaoke U offers unlimited, all-access streaming during time-limited sessions. Players can opt to purchase playtime in one-hour, one-day, or month-long chunks, depending on how large a party you're hosting and how many times your friends want to sing the Evangelion theme song in a single night. While the app supports USB microphones, players can also sing using the Wii U GamePad's built-in mic. The Japanese version of Wii Karaoke U featured over 200,000 songs in its catalog, though Nintendo of Europe did not announce how many tracks will be available for the western release. Microsoft released its own iNiS-developed Karaoke app for the Xbox 360 last year, offering a similar time-based pay structure. Pricing details for the European version of Wii Karaoke U are not yet available, and a release date has not been announced.
kJams, karaoke software for the Mac, hits 1.0
kJams just went into proper beta this March, and now the venerable karaoke software has gone 1.0 as of June 21. The update brings some important features, especially if you are going beyond karaoke hobbyist and are considering a PC-based karaoke solution in a venue. Of particular note is a "ShowScreens" feature, which allows custom graphic overlays (venue logos, for example). There are also some welcome metadata tools, which is critical when you're dealing with hundreds of songs at a time. The 1.0 version adds some foreign language support as well. I have used kJams Pro quite a bit with friends, and it's a ton of fun. Even for people who are wary of karaoke, the home experience is a blast because unlike a karaoke bar, you're only making a fool of yourself in front of friends. In the past I've connected an older MacBook Pro to my Bravia TV using VGA, then plugged in the audio to a louder home stereo, and I've run Magic Window on the desktop for some visual flair. Now I keep all of my karaoke songs on my 11" MacBook Air, and use HDMI to plug into any modern HDTV. By bringing a simple USB mic from Rock Band 2 for Wii (or one from High School Musical, depending on how kitschy I want to be), I can set up karaoke in anyone's house within seconds. kJams is free to try, and comes in a Lite and Pro version, with some features limited or disabled until you pay (the app is shareware). There are several built-in song stores, although karaoke songs can get expensive. I recommend buying CD+G discs on eBay or Amazon, then ripping them in kJams. There's also an iOS companion app, iJams, which is only compatible with the Pro version of kJams. Full press release below, plus a photo of our own Mike Rose belting one out at the Beard Bash from WWDC 2013. Show full PR text Groundbreaking karaoke software comes of age SANTA CRUZ, CA – June 21, 2013 – Metamuse Media today announced the 1.0 release of its popular karaoke platform, kJams, which allows professional KJs and home users alike to create and run their own customized karaoke shows. Earning high praises for its ease of use, deep feature set, and enterpriselevel customer support, kJams has emerged as the most comprehensive karaoke application available for both Mac and Windows. As KJ Ethan Feldman remarked: "kJams... blows every other PC karaoke software out of the water!" Metamuse Media CEO and kJams creator, Dave Cotter, says he is "s00per siked" to have reached this milestone. "I started kJams in 2004 as a labor of love, because at the time there was no program that could play CD+Gs on the Mac; and actually kJams is still the only pro karaoke app available for Apple computers. But I really had no idea how much demand there would be, or how much joy kJams would bring to so many people! I just want the whole world to have the gift of happiness that comes with singing." Version 1.0 includes the following features: ● Familiar, easy to use interface ● Integrated Venue, Singer, and Rotation management ● Builtin music stores (100k+ songs) with optional online or offline streaming services (10k+ songs) ● Singers can search song book and manage their personal song lists from smartphone or web ● CD+G, VCD, and other Disc formats; QuickTime, Zipped MP3+G, LRC, and other file formats ● Independent 'onthefly' key change and tempo adjustment, AV resync ● 'ShowScreens' can show KJ or Venue logos / graphics and custom messages ● Powerful batch metadata editing and file name conforming ● Runs in English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, and Romanian Metamuse Media is a small, familyrun multimedia house dedicated to providing inspiring, creative entertainment. Contact: David M. Cotter Metamuse Media (425) 2470526 www.kjams.com
Panasonic thinks you'll pay $1,200 for a home stereo with neon subwoofers
Of note, that thing you see above cannot be copped for $20 at your local Thrift Shop.
