Music

There’s no denying that it’s considerably bigger than the ubiquitous iPod, but when it comes to playing your favourite tunes, the Tasting Music table pictured below takes some beating. Both in the cool and ease of use departments.

How the machine does what it does is beyond my meagre comprehension, but by simply placing a CD — that’s still in its case — over the sensor in the middle of the table, the album’s track list appears. Allowing songs to be easily selected and played. Plus this illuminated list can be moved around the table’s surface, making it viewable wherever people happen to be sitting.

Unfortunately such a poor explanation doesn’t do this ingenious device justice, but by clicking here you can see a video of it in action.

As for its uses and the idea behind it, the designer of the table says this of his invention:

It is almost impossible to talk about a sound of a piece of music with your friends if you can not hear the sound of the music played. This table is meant to be situated in a cafe or a music shop, where people can eat, drink and chat with friends. These are all comfortable situation, and listening to music also helps to create a comfortable situation.

All well and good, but forget cafes and music shops; how cool would it be to have one these little beauties at home?

Living in Japan and possessing a singing voice that warrants a stretch behind bars means that evenings out with colleagues or acquaintances can be fraught with danger. One simply never knows if (although sadly it’s usually when) the battle cry of “Lets go to karaoke!” will rear its ugly little head.

This spine chilling suggestion for the vocally challenged requires an immediate and effective escape plan. Perhaps a feigning of tiredness, or even a boldfaced lie involving family members, sickness, and an urgent need to return home. Basically anything will do, as long as it results in a night of karaoke crooning avoidance.

Such cowardice has thankfully served me well up to now, but the evil engineers at TASCAM have released the terrifying Karaoke Man on to a vapid and voracious market.

This innocent looking but malevolent device allows users to cut the vocals from any CD. Which combined with the supplied microphone creates a light and portable karaoke machine. A gadget that is destined to appear when least expected and even less desired.

This is a frightening prospect indeed, and one that will require a serious rethinking of evasive strategies. One possibility is the claim of a mysterious yet especially virulent throat condition. A disease so baffling that karaoke singing in any shape or form is liable to be fatal.

Rather extreme I admit, but these are troubling times for a westerner without the ability to warble.

Forget spending your money on expensive surround sound speakers, and instead take the opportunity of investing in a cuddly little toy that plays muffled music through its feet.

Toy maker SK Japan is presumably banking on the Japanese love affair with all things cute, hoping that it will counter the desire for quality sound. And as they’ll also produce a Hello Kitty model, who’d be brave enough to bet against them succeeding?