‘Pocket Miku’: A Synthesizer That Sings

Posted on 27/10/2022 by hite

The Pocket Miku is a tiny synthesizer that turns its key presses (or audio input) into Hatsune Miku’s voice. For those of you unfamiliar, Miku is a Vocaloid software voicebank created by Crypton Future Media and its official anthropomorphic mascot, a Japanese idol with long, turquoise hair. And now I can make songs with her! I guess I can go ahead and add Music Producer to my résumé.

In the video below, YouTuber David Hilowitz Music actually does a fantastic job using the synthesizer to create a song with Miku on vocals. I probably don’t have the necessary musical talent to do the same and suspect my song would end up sounding like Miku yelling for me to take her batteries out.

If you’re seriously interested, some Pocket Mikus are available on eBay, but they’re going for around $400, so I guess you’ll have to be SERIOUSLY interested to buy one. Me? I’m not really that serious about anything besides what’s for dessert. I’m hoping for a berry crumble with ice cream!

Japanese Man Marries Hologram

Posted on 13/11/2018 by Conner Flynn

I don’t see what the big deal is. I’d love to marry Heather Graham. Oh, wait. It’s not Heather Graham? It’s Holo-gram?!? My bad. Anyway, the world that we live in today is pretty, uh… What’s the word I’m looking for? F**ked up. Yeah, that’s it. Yes, according to reports, a man in Japan recently got married to a hologram.

35-year old Akihiko Kondo held a two million yen (~$17,600) wedding ceremony for him and his $1500 holographic wife, virtual reality singer Hatsune Miku. Sadly, Akihiko Kondo’s mother refused an invitation to her only son’s wedding. Frankly, I think that was the right call. In fact, none of Kondo’s relatives attended his wedding to Miku. Nevertheless, he didn’t let that stop him from having a formal ceremony at a Tokyo hall. Around 40 guests watched as he tied the knot with his wife who was represented by a doll. Why bother with the doll when you have the hologram? I don’t get it.

This guy isn’t the only one of his kind either. Gatebox, the maker of the virtual reality holographic box girlfriends/wives, has issued over 3,700 certificates for “cross-dimension” marriages. Seriously, WTF people?

Wait until the hologram divorces start happening. When you divorce a hologram they don’t take half of your things, they take all of your heart. *Sad face*.

[via New launches via Geekologie]

Hatsune Miku Keytar Bag: J-Pop Purse

Posted on 11/08/2017 by Paul Strauss

Japan is home to some wonderful creations. One of the more popular franchises of the past decade has to be Hatsune Miku, a fully digital J-Pop musician, whose vocals are created synthetically. The vocaloid singer’s voice has been featured in over 100,000 songs, has sold out digital concerts around the world, and even has her own GT series race car. In other words, she’s more popular than most human singers.

One of the things that Hatsune Miku plays in her virtual concerts is a Keytar, one of those musical instruments that I always wanted to own, but never have. For now, maybe I’ll settle for this Keytar sling bag, done up to look like the one Hatsune Miku sometimes plays.

Whether you’re into J-Pop or ’80s synth pop, you can’t go wrong with a bag that looks like a keytar. The bag has enough space inside for a tablet, notebooks, and some other small accessories, and features colorful zipper pulls that look like musical notes. It’s made from polyester, and that control panel has dimensional control “buttons” made from silicone.

You can grab one now exclusively from ThinkGeek for $29.99(USD). It’s too bad the keyboard doesn’t actually play music – I’m sure that would be a massive seller.

Sony unveils Crystal White PlayStation Vita, limited digital diva edition

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Sean Buckley

Remember that line-up of colorful consoles we eyed back at TGS? One of eight of those mock-ups is about to become a reality, at least in Japan. On June 28th, color conscious gamers will be able to pick up a WiFi or 3G Crystal White PlayStation Vita for ¥24,980 and ¥29,980, respectively (that's about $312 and $375 if you're counting in greenbacks). If the absence of color is a bit too bland for you, a limited edition Hatsune Miku handheld will hit shelves two months later, commanding a ¥10,000 ($125) premium for the privilege of plastering Sega's digital diva on your Vita's rear touch panel. On the plus side, Vocoloid's poster girl packs a 4GB memory card and a copy of Next Hatsune Miku: Project Diva to offset the limited edition's larger sticker price. No word yet when or if these Vita variants will hit the western world, but we'll let you now if we hear anything. Until then? Try to satiate yourself with the video after the break.

Continue reading Sony unveils Crystal White PlayStation Vita, limited digital diva edition

Sony unveils Crystal White PlayStation Vita, limited digital diva edition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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