World's smallest (and portable) Karaoke box unveiled

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Yesterday Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy announced [JP, PDF] the development of the world’s smallest Karaoke box, dubbed Hi-Kara. It will go on sale in Japan on October 18th and will be available in white or pink.

The Hi-Kara is a complete portable Karaoke system that Takara Tomy managed to squeeze into a tiny cube (7 cm, 150 grams). It comes with a 2.4-inch LED, which can display music videos and song lyrics. Users will be able to sing and listen to songs either via a headset/microphone set or through speakers. Takara Tomy claims 4 AAA batteries last for 4.5 hours of Karaoke.

The songs will be added to the Hi-Kara using cartridges. Takara Tomy wants to charge $19 for 10 songs or $34 for 20 songs. The company will also set up a Hi-Kara web site through which users can download more music on blank cartridges.

The Japan-only Hi-Kara cube is scheduled to be offered for $97. Targeting young girls, Takara Tomy plans to sell 500,000 units in one year.

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