One of the worst inventions ever inflicted on humankind

Published on June 22nd, 2008

A Japanese toy maker will soon sell a portable, personal karaoke machine so you can belt out your favorite tunes anywhere, and without having to wait for the microphone. The “Hi-kara” karaoke machine, by Takara Tomy, is a 7-cm (nearly 3-inch) cube which weighs less than a pound and works like a real machine.

Once the singer selects a song, which can be downloaded off the Internet or from special music cartridges, the lyrics come up on a 2.4-inch display. The machine also has headphones and speakers attached.

“Hi-kara” will go on sale in October for about $100, with song cartridges costing about $40 each.

Runaway! Runaway!

21 users responded in " One of the worst inventions ever inflicted on humankind "

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# 1 hhopper said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm

…and you thought idiots on cell phones were bad.

# 2 zybch said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm

I’d make a joke about ‘have we got any more nukes’, but that would be in bad taste.

# 3 Raster said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm

This could be a Godsend: perhaps it will provide a record and playback feature!

# 4 Improbus said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Oh, the horror!

# 5 Daniel said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm

I thought Karaoke was the scourge of the earth until I was dragged into a small personal karaoke booth in Osaka. It really is a lot of fun after a bunch of drinks in a strange land. Constant 24×7 personal karaoke is a bit much though.

# 6 Noel said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 pm

I may have to stop taking the train all the time if this comes here.

# 7 MikeN said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm

First I thought that was a breathalyzer.

# 8 hhopper said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pm

#5 – Most everything’s fun after “a bunch of drinks.”

# 9 Rob H. said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm

Ha-Ha, we already beat you Japan!

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ikaraoke

# 10 Shipment Car Phone Drivers US said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Whats next – not only to see idiot women careening their car towards you while smiling involved with a relationship on the phone
They don’t even seem to be realizing that they are driving – just smiling an evil grin as they conduct their relationship on the phone oblivious of any other vehicles on the road
Whats next – singing to the Karaoke machine while driving down the highway oblivious to anyone else

# 11 Shin said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm

Quick quick..ban the use of them now!! Don’t wait like we have with cell phones! After all, there were no accidents before cell phones, and then they shot way way up. Didn’t they? Ummm..any actual figures? Or is it almost all apocryphal fear mongering by cranky non-geeks? “I never needed a phone while I was driving 20 miles to school through the worst blizzard in 100 years…” ^_^

Guess what…I’ll bet that a good 90% of the people who have had motor accidents while using their phones would have found some other way to have them if there were no such things. I tend to work on the an idiot is an idiot principle..rather than the all must be treated as idiots before the fact…^_^

# 12 Gasbag said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm

What the fuck are they thinking??????

# 13 jim h said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm

There is a special place in hell for the people behind this product. And it’s not a quiet place.

# 14 English Vibrato said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm

It is a mad world.

# 15 admfubar said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 8:18 pm

karaoke the worst thing to come from japan since hari kari

# 16 Mister Mayonnaise said, on June 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 pm

As I pass through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, I fear no Evil

For I have Portable Personal Karaoke

# 17 scadragon said, on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 am

Karaoke… Japan’s revenge on the civilized world for Hiroshima and Nagasaki

# 18 Floyd said, on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:31 am

Karaoke–the fastest way known to clear out a bar.

# 19 JimD said, on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:53 am

Expect more impulsive STRANGULATION KILLINGS, followed by TEMPORARY INSANITY PLEAS !!! Has to happen !!! That would be a good reason to get these BANNED AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC ORDER, or something like that !!!

# 20 deowll said, on June 23rd, 2008 at 11:39 am

Is there some reason the singer looks like they have fangs? Are they trying to tell use something? Maybe it is their front teeth but…

# 21 MikeR said, on June 24th, 2008 at 10:50 am

aka The iCringe

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