On the other hand, we do have to commend whoever was in charge of that karaoke setup. It was pretty damn flawless, and we doubt anybody would have known about it if the show's musical designer hadn't said anything. There's also the question of why the little girl that was actually on stage was allowed to give interviews as if she actually sang it?

Mr Chen said she might not have known that the words she was singing could not be heard. She had, in fact, only known she was going to perform at all 15 minutes beforehand.

[Telegraph via Yahoo Sports]

Rosita gives good reasons on her own but for me, TuneWiki is just perfect for drunk nights in the bar, when everyone wants to sing for some reason and nobody knows the exact lyrics to a song. Or maybe it's just me. Whatever. In any case, if you enjoy music and singing or reading lyrics as you listen to songs, TuneWiki is a must. [TuneWiki - Video review music by Goldfrapp]

Should I apologize for the picture at the top? Probably... [iSing]

There's a DMB receiver with Picture-in-Picture capability so you can watch TV, a media player that supports all sorts of formats and, while there's no HDD, there's an SD memory slot and USB host. Add photo album, several games and something called a Car Diary for you to keep an eye on various vehicle-related things (no, I don't care either).

And Karaoke. Yes, people, that little microphone icon you see on the screen lets you belt out versions of whatever song keeps the pedal to the metal in your car. Karaoke. What a GENIUS idea. If anyone from iNavi is reading this, then the G1 needs to go global. Send one over to me at Giz and I'll spend my summer test-driving it in a stolen car.

iNavi G1 from Korea does karaoke [NaviGadget]

The K7 is billed as a pocket Karaoke machine, since its TV out can make an instant party anywhere with a television and a fifth of tequila. But for the shy, its 1, 2 and 4GB sizes still playback MP3s and video, and an FM radio serves as backup for when you are too lazy to replace the Def Leppard album that was fun when you loaded it, but now is just grating.

Also, the K7 is not a phone. Hit the jump for some more pretty shots.

– Mark Wilson

K7 [akihabara news]

If this feature indeed works the way they describe, this could be the best phone ever. If not, it's just another phone with a 2-megapixel camera that's available only in China. – Jason Chen

PhoneDaily [via Mobile Mentalism]

If you're not looking for even 15 minutes of fame, there's also karaoke software included. Too bad it's not waterproof—it would be a perfect shower karaoke machine for our aqua-crooning editor. – Charlie White

Product Page [Cerventis LLC, via Slash Gear]

Santa, please make me a waterproof karaoke machine, with built in shampoo and soap holder. With an LCD, and wifi that can stream (heh) new tracks down from some buying service. And the microphones should have pitch change, so I can sing both the Diana Ross and Lionel Richie parts of Endless Love. And it should have some sort of digital filter that makes gurgling noises sound like Pavarotti.

Extra points for making a showerhead that doubles as a microphone. –Brian Lam

[You can get that mic sponge here]
All Giz Wants [Gizmodo]
If Wishes Were Horses [NYTimes]
All Giz Wants [Gizmodo]

Sure, karaoke is a worn-out fad, but still, there's no thrill quite like sitting next to a mild-mannered coworker who suddenly stands up and shows everyone that she can sing exactly like Aretha Franklin. This $50 device might just democratize the process, which could be good or bad. Coming next month. – Charlie White

Product Page [Griffin]

The doPi comes with the appropriate cables to hook up toy our ipod and Microphone. Despite this adapter being iPod dependent, it's actually not completely portable. You need to use the included AC adapter to plug in the doPi, so you're limited to places where there's an AC adapter. Dopey? Yes. Fun? Only if you really like Karaoke. And at $60, we'd recommend just getting a copy of Karaoke Revolution Party for your PlayStation 2.

A shot of the lyrics screen after the jump. – Jason Chen

doPi Karaoke video iPod / video MP3 Player [iLounge]

Product Page [Via Popgadget]

Sony's looking to squeeze just a few more yen out of the CD player market with it CFD-S01. Not only does it play CDs, but it also plays cassettes! Hot dog! In addition to playing back optical audio discs and magnetic tapes, both of which are cutting edge technologies, it also had a Karaoke function, making your next party as embarrassing as your last social disaster. There's also a built-in AM/FM radio, should you wish to hear know-nothing jocks spew corporate-approved nonsense.

The 3.14-inch speakers output 1.7 watts of dual-channel audio and Sony's Mega Bass attempts to produce some semblance of low frequency sounds from the proud, pink (or gray or white) shell. It's due out in Japan on August 10 for about $70. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page (in Japanese) [Sony Japan via Fareastgizmos.com]

Motor Karaoke [WMMNA]

Seesaa
Product page

V CAST? We Don't Need No Stinkin' V CAST!

You know those folks who drive around in Vanagons with bumper stickers that read "Kill Your Television"? Well, with the way things are going at present, they can't be too happy. The proliferation of in-seat screens for automobiles was bad enough. Now with the way broadband video's progressing, it shouldn't be too long before every Nextel subscriber in the world can watch Walker, Texas Ranger reruns whenever they darn well please.

The anti-TV crowd can take temporary heart, though, in the fact that a) cellphone video's still in its infancy, so customers must make do with Shakira videos and AccuWeather forecasts at present, and b) the prices will be mad steep for the foreseeable future. Sorry, Chuck Norris, but don't expect another royalties stream until 2011 or so.

In the meantime, us poor-yet-mobile TV fans will have to settle for clunkier gadgets. A Sony Watchman? Nah, chews up batteries like a fat guy at a buffet, plus the picture gets all hinky when viewed from different angles. A better and cheaper option is one of my favorite low-end gadgets in recent memory: the TV boombox. After the jump, three units that'll save you from the ignominy of missing Judge Joe Brown. PLUS: Where my Eastern Europeans at?

As longtime readers are already aware, Low End Theory is all about looking for gadgets in the places you'd least expect. For this week's column, I journeyed down to New York's fabled East Village, ostensibly to grab a bowl of ramen at the highly recommended Minca. (Tip: ask for extra pork and hot sauce.) But there was an ulterior motive that I didn't reveal to my girlfriend: I also wanted to stop by the East Village Pharmacy, a primo junk shop that has the hookup on cheap electronics.

They seem especially hooked into Coby Electronics, a company best known for its cheap, portable DVD players, like the TF-DVD500. Of course, Gizmodo has previously inveighed against going too low-end on DVD players, so caveat emptor.

Coby's been trying to position itself as a budget supplier of LCDs, but that's not Low End Theory's purview; we're still all about the cathode-ray tubes, man. And the EV Pharmacy had just the product to make us squeal with unfettered delight: the Coby CD-TV152, aka "the TV boombox" (picture at the column's top). Five-inch black-and-white screen? Check. UHF capability? Check. Molded plastic handle? Check! "Rotary volume control" (i.e. a volume knob)? Oh, baby, check! Check! Check!

All of this for $34.99, plus a top-loading CD player to boot. Still not sold? The spec sheet also mentions a "Quick Start Picture Tube." Because, y'know, if there's one thing that I always complain about, it's my TV taking too long to warm up.

If the Coby unit isn't quite your style, for reasons I can't possibly fathom, there's another worthwhile option that I stumbled across: the VocoStar Orange-300 Carry-oke Boombox. It'll run you a few clams more—the best online price I could find was $99 from dynadirect.com—but there are some nice bonuses. Like the dual microphone inputs, in case you want to belt out "Close to You" with your sweetheart. And a remote control, so you needn't bother with a rotary volume knob. (Note to all budding product designers: Isn't it time we bid the rotary knob farewell, once and for all? Take a cue from your mates in the phone design world.)

At this point, you may be griping: "$34.99 for a black-and-white TV? What am I, made of money?" If you're really seeking a portable TV bargain, and can do without the karaoke or CD features, then jWin has your back with the aptly dubbed JV-TV1010. It's as plain as its binary-code name suggests, though there is an AM/FM tuner described as "sensitive." Just like Chuck Norris in Walker-mode, as he offers a meaty, calloused hand to a child in need of help...

POST-SOVIET ELECTRONICS SCENE: Y'know, I'm getting a little tired of flipping over every low-end gadget I come across and seeing a "Made in China" sticker. Okay, there are a few "Made in Taiwans" around too, and some "Made in Koreas." But what about the rest of the world? Where is Poland? To flip the president's infamous words from last year's presidential debate, did Poland forget about us? Or Bulgaria, for that matter? [My wife says Poland is Central Europe. You should be shouting out to the Ukraine and Moldova - Ed]

So, dear readers, I'm asking for a little help here: can anyone point me in the direction of a low-end brand that manufactures behind the former Iron Curtain? Much good karma, and a paean in this space, to anyone who can point us in the right direction. Drop some Slavic knowledge to brendan@gizmodo.com.

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired and a columnist for both The New York Times and Slate. His Low End Theory column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

Panasonic SD-Card Karaoke Microphone SY-MK30 [I4U]