karaoke
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Keian intros KDVD850HDMI upscaling DVD player with DivX support
While we've seen quite a few luxurious upscaling DVD players come through for those still quietly sitting the fence as the Blu-ray / HD DVD war wages on, Keian's KDVD850HDMI offers up another reasonable substitute to full-fledged high definition discs, and throws in DivX support to boot. Aside from kicking plain ole DVDs up to 1080i via HDMI, playing back DivX files, and touting the admittedly strange dual microphone inputs for that karaoke flair, this unit also touts the ability to render picture-based slideshows and play back MP3 / WMA from USB thumb drives or flash memory cards (SD, MMC, MS, xD). Of course, you'll find the typical coaxial / optical digital audio outputs as well, and while this unit isn't apt to win any awards in the quality department, it should help your (presumably depleted) post-Christmas bank account out by demanding just ¥10,800 ($91).[Via Akihabara News]
Asus Z801 flip-phone plays karaoke
Is anyone reading this truly interested in a phone that has a karaoke feature? Oh right, so you at the back, yeah you to the left of that dude wearing the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt... you'd relish a feature designed to let you embarrass yourself in public? Alright, so we may not think much of this particular aspect of the recently announced Asus Z801 flip-phone: fortunately, the rest of its specifications go some way towards making up for this silliness. At the core of the tri-band Z801's features is its 2-megapixel camera and large-ish QVGA display plus an MP3 player and A2DP-enabled Bluetooth. Dig a little deeper and you'll find some software that enables voice dialing, a dictaphone function, and support for QR Code -- a system similar to barcode used commonly in Japan for sending information like URLs and contact details. If you let your eyes wander away from the screen you'll no doubt notice the phone's "Sapphire Quartz" mirrored finish, the black and white checkered keypad design, and a standard external LCD for caller ID or an analog clock face. For now the Z801 looks to remain exclusive to Taiwan, although we've got our fingers crossed it'll get a decent export plan, even if only so we can see first hand how popular that mobile-karaoke feature really is.
P-Kara brings karaoke to the Japanese masses
At Tokyo Game Show, Sony unveiled a game called P-Kara, a karaoke game that's supposed to give users access to thousands of songs. The game is now available in Japan, and although it looks to feature some really great songs, it's also a little pricey: the game retails for 6980 yen. Granted, this includes the cost of a SOCOM headset and 20 songs on the UMD. The game becomes considerably more expensive when you consider the monthly subscription fees the game charges: 840 yen (~$7US) a month for "all you can sing" access. If you want to download songs for offline play, that'll cost you an additional 105 yen (~$1US).P-Kara will rank your performance against other P-Kara users so you can be sure how awful you sing. Regardless, with songs like ?????????? from CHEMISTRY, * ?????????????????????? from ORANGE RANGE, and more [full song list], I want to get it now. Unfortunately, a gaijin like myself can't register for the service (So-Net requires a Japanese mailing address when registering!) Considering how unlikely a game like this will ever leave Japan, that blows big time.[Via Pocket Gamer, Siliconera & PSP GadgetZ]
SingTones delivers instant karaoke ringtones, ensures humiliation
If you're not fortunate enough to have access to KTF's ringtone-making stations, and think those Top 40 songs-turned-tones are just played out, how'd you like to hear your own screeching renditions blasting from your mobile? SingTones -- a new service / software designed to aid in the creation of karaoke ringtones -- allows users to purchase popular songs and then dub their own voice atop the music. By texting to buy or purchasing the track online, customers can then listen to the soundtrack, belt out the lyrics into their phone, and instantly receive a customized ringtone sure to elicit incredible amounts of embarrassment if used in public. SingTones charges a whopping £3.00 ($5.75) per song if ordered from your mobile, and £2.50 ($4.76) if purchased online, but tossing your ho hum vocals atop of your favorite tune can be accomplished for much less coin if you've got the necessary skills to whip up your own.[Via Pocket-Lint]
IBM and Xing team up for high-end wireless karaoke controller
We're not going to lie -- we're pretty dang awesome at karaoke. Unfortunately, our superstardom is often hampered by ghetto setups in the various K-town karaoke bars we frequent, so we don't always get our chance to shine. IBM and Xing have joined forces to help solve this problem, and came up with the Kyoku NAVIs and NAVI II wireless controllers, which allow you to search through thousands of songs right from the device, without having to lug out those lame songbooks. The device can operate in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and English, and can even be used to order food and drinks from the bar while you're busy singing your heart out to top 40 hits of the 80's and 90's. The controllers are WiFi based, and can search the IBM-powered song databases in all sorts of nifty ways. They'll be headed to Japan this November, so if you've really got to get your song on, and aren't looking forward to flipping through a 3-ring binder to track down that certain Bowie fave, you might want to head over before you miss all the fun.
TGS 06: More than 3000 songs for new karaoke game
Karaoke and the PSP don't seem like a great match to me. Imagine, you're trying to read the newspaper on the subway, and the guy sitting next to you is singing to his PSP. Potentially uncool. But, if you're the kind of person that has to bust a song at a moment's notice, Sony's new P-Kara game for the PSP seems like its just for you. The game will let you download songs, in similar fashion to PS3's Singstar, and it'll let you download a whole heck of a lot of them: more than three thousand, if we're supposed to believe the news on Sony's official website.See also:The PSP as karaoke machine[Via PSP-Vault]
Loco Roco theme song karaoke!
Everybody sing along! Bajumbo moi noi noi jecker Dabatto bunkergait jun jun Nora juere-rotto pura-pura petto Puraret dum dum Paruranoi noi noi jecker Dabatto bunkerget tum tum Ora poerketino bookertan tan-tan-so Bokertyo kyenturanai mimani unlahood-cha-la Terra hooki-ra pishi-to diki-ra poody-to Seni-kidi koseibo Kokorenkyo kyenturanai mimani unlalhood-cha-la Terra hooki-ra shishi-sho tusura hajiki yo... [Via 1UP]
MusicJam unveils iPod Mixer / karaoke machine
While mixin' it up iPod-style has certainly been done before, MusicJam is looking to combine the simplest of mixer functions with a karaoke machine in its aptly-named iPod Mixer. Essentially, this device allows you to add your own vocals and guitar riffs to the tune currently playing on your iPod, which could definitely bring out the "one man band" in any musician. The mixer sports an iPod dock (presumably compatible with the iPod with video only), microphone / guitar inputs, volume sliders, tone / distortion controls, RCA outputs, and even attempts to replicate that on-stage allure by touting echo / sustain options for your vocs. The company also throws in a microphone, mic clamp, and cabling to get you warmed up, and includes "KaraokeVideos" software to turn any jam into an iPod-compatible karaoke vid. While the quality here is certainly questionable, it looks to be a solid addition to your Korg-infused Les Paul, and hey, getting you fully prepped for that karaoke circuit will only set you back $229.[Via iLounge]
The CAVS IPS-11G turns your iPod into a karaoke machine
When someone walks into your house and sees a full-fledged karaoke machine -- or worse, the karaoke muzzle -- he or she will be immediately bombarded by mental images of you doing your best Steve Perry impression. Now you can mask your potentially embarrassing obsession though, by choosing the CAVS IPS-11G iPod Karaoke dock. It looks just like your average third-party iPod cradle, but hiding behind its unassuming shell is support for MPEGs, AVIs, MP3s and slideshows, which when coupled with the two built-in microphone jacks and an A/V cable, can make for hours of ear-offending fun. The dock can accept just about any version of the iPod, which is used purely for storage, as well as USB drives and external HDDs, giving you access to all your media (Journey songs included) through menus on your TV screen. Just think, one day you could be making millions selling your karaoke tracks as ringtones. Or not.
Transcend releases T.sonic 530 flash-based DAP
DAP manufacturer Transcend has been know to offer some rather unconventional designs over the years -- see the T.sonic 310 and 620 for reference -- but we'd sure like to know what went on in the focus group that convinced the company to craft their newest player like a sparsely-decorated mint tin. Besides its unusual appearance, though, the T.sonic 530 is almost exactly the same model as the much more traditional-looking 520 we saw earlier this year, sporting 512MB or 1GB of flash memory, tiny OLED display, FM tuner, digital voice recorder, and of course, the on-screen lyrics option that promises to "bring out the pop star in everyone." The 530 is on the market now -- willing and able to assist you in the occasional karoake session -- and although exact pricing isn't known, you'll probably be able to pick up either capacity for under a hundred bucks.[Via MobileWhack]
New My SingStar screens: it's karaoke for PS3!
Some people just like to hear their own voice. If you're the next aspiring American Idol, you may find this worth checking out. Last week some new My SingStar images surfaced showing off the next-gen karaoke game for PlayStation 3. It gives off a quirky vibe to those who may not be keen on this type of game, but we could be seeing some really sweet applications thanks to the PS3 hardware. With secret weapons emerging, hardware of the like could provide a fresh angle on a song-driven game like this. Though you can only push an EyeToy or camera so far for a karaoke title. However there's always the possibility of downloading all kinds of new songs over their network platform too. And what about the chance of downloading user-created content as well? Maybe that's just wishful thinking, but hey... it could happen!
Nintendo snags wiikaraoke.com, built-in mic rumor heats up
The latest Wii rumor, which speculates that the Wiimote has a built-in mic, is starting to heat up with news that Nintendo has registered the 'wiikaraoke.com' domain. Currently, the address redirects browsers to the Nintendo homepage, but we have to assume that this will all change, in time. Of course, Nintendo hasn't confirmed a thing, so the domain could end up remaining dead space or used for other purposes, like a contest.Still, we can't help but point out that the Wiimote makes for a perfect impromptu microphone.
Joystiq Video: Karaoke Revolution Country
As luck would have it, the edited version of Randall and I's Karaoke Revolution performance live in LA just got uploaded during a nice slow night of blogging. Now, instead of getting washed away in a torrent of E3-related posts, it'll sit on the front page, gathering exposure and accumulating your precious mockery ... alright Joystiqers, have at it!If the embedded video isn't working, check out our local version (.mov).[Thanks, Alexia and Randall!]
RedOctane CEO: More music games coming
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, RedOctane CEO Kelly Sumner revealed that the company's "got other products in development" in the music genre.The former Take Two Interactive Europe CEO's statement that he "can't tell you what [these other products] are and when they're coming" would lead us to believe he's not talking about the Guitar Hero sequels (sorta like song expansion packs) already announced.A rhythm line-up to rival Konami's Bemani brand, perhaps? This blogger would love something to take advantage of the RedOctane drum peripherals created for Namco's Taiko Drum Master, and it wouldn't be too hard for Harmonix to work up a karaoke game considering their work on Karaoke Revolution (unless licensing prevents it). Whatever the case, fans of music gaming would love to see what Sumner's got up his sleeve.[Thanks, murph]See also: Guitar Hero readies for European tour A whole range of Guitar Heroes to be available A postmortem on Accordion Hero (with a little info on Guitar Hero, too) RedOctane Guitar Hero Specialty Store [where'd the cherry SG go?!]
