Fret no more my tone-deaf anthropophobic, wannabe pop stars, as help is almost at hand in the form of a miniature, portable Karaoke machine. The 'Hi-Kara,' as it is called, is a three inch cube that weighs less than a pound and has a screen to display the scrolling lyrics, enabling the user to read the words while singing out loud into the headset. Stage fright will become a thing of the past.
The mini-karaoke player will retail in Japan starting in October for around $100 with song cartridges going for about $40 each. No doubt it will be a big hit with Japan's youngsters who are often barred from the Karaoke bars, parlors and nightclubs where alcohol is usually served—surely a key ingredient to create the ability/desire to get up and embarrass yourself in the first place?
Karaoke, which apparently means 'empty orchestra' is a nearly-noble art, and has long been one of Japan's most innovative musical exports, allowing millions of aspiring vocalists around the world the ability to inflict hearing damage on their pets and neighbors. Seems that this mobile form of potential noise pollution has just got a little bit easier. Watch out for people walking down the street singing out loud into their headsets.
Earplugs not included.