My singing voice is such that I figure I should be banned from karaoke. Still for the likes of Zoom calls I did take an interest when I saw a rechargeable "karaoke microphone" (available in white, black, and pink) with Bluetooth for $5 (plus tax) at Dollarama. So, I bought one in black, charged it, and connected it via Bluetooth to my Debian Linux (13, aka Trixie) desktop PC. What initially puzzled me was my PC didn't see the "karaoke microphone" as a microphone, it saw it as a speaker. The idea being I take it that you play whatever background music you want and then sing over top of that. When running the "JuK" MP3 player program I found the "+" / "-" buttons on the "microphone" would let you step forwards / backwards through the audio file collection. Besides the power on/off button, the "+" / "-" buttons there is a button with scissors on it (mute) and one labeled "M" (untested, but I gather it is for "duet" mode), On the bottom of the "microphone" is a microSD card slot (I presume for loading with background music files, I didn't test this). With the microscope was included a very short USB A to USB C cable for recharging the "microphone". As noted, I am not a karaoke person, but while not for me, I can see a place for this. I am used to thinking of karaoke set-ups being big / complex, but one (or more) of these "microphones" plus a small laptop PC and you could be off to the races (assuming you don't need massive volume). Or even one (or more) of these "microphones" with microSD cards plus a booklet of song lyrics and you might have a karaoke system in a large pocket. I can also picture these "microphones" being nightmare fuel for parents on a long road trip with their kids :-) ...
On Sun, 18 Jan 2026 at 09:43, Colin McGregor via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
I can also picture these "microphones" being nightmare fuel for parents on a long road trip with their kids :-) ...
Teslas include a "Caraoke" app that plays the accompaniment music through the speakers and shows the lyrics on the screen. -- Scott
On 1/18/26 09:42, Colin McGregor via Talk wrote:
My singing voice is such that I figure I should be banned from karaoke.
Maybe you could pick a song like Green Onions! 😉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oox9bJaGJ8
I've been hearing that tune on radio since forever, and only now I learn the title. Thanks. On 2026-01-18 11:10, James Knott via Talk wrote:
Maybe you could pick a song like Green Onions! 😉
James Knott via Talk said on Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:10:38 -0500
On 1/18/26 09:42, Colin McGregor via Talk wrote:
My singing voice is such that I figure I should be banned from karaoke.
Maybe you could pick a song like Green Onions! 😉
Deeuuuuude! You must be *really* old to remember that song. Myself being a US Revolutionary war veteran, I remember Green Onions in late summer of 1962. I was a 12 year old 8th grader. It wasn't my favorite (that was "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals), but it was a very nice song. All the songs from summer and fall of 1962 were great. As a matter of fact, Top 40 music was improving month by month in the early 1960's, only to be temporarily interrupted by Beatlemania in 1964 and early 65. When Green Onions was on the radio, we (American kids) were in love with President Kennedy. Nikita Kruschev was the worst horror novel villain to ever exist. We didn't know it, but we were less than 2 months from the Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred in late October 1962. One day in late October 1962, I asked my parents if we would be alive the next day. My mom pondered for a second, and with a serious look on her face she said "we think so." When information declassified ~50 years later, I found out just how close my mom was to being wrong. SteveT Steve Litt http://444domains.com
I’m old enough to be surprised that someone thinks of it as an “old” song. I can’t be old; I remember when it was on the radio! Sent from my iPad
On Jan 18, 2026, at 7:15 PM, Steve Litt via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
James Knott via Talk said on Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:10:38 -0500
On 1/18/26 09:42, Colin McGregor via Talk wrote: My singing voice is such that I figure I should be banned from karaoke.
Maybe you could pick a song like Green Onions! 😉
Deeuuuuude! You must be *really* old to remember that song. Myself being a US Revolutionary war veteran, I remember Green Onions in late summer of 1962. I was a 12 year old 8th grader. It wasn't my favorite (that was "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals), but it was a very nice song. All the songs from summer and fall of 1962 were great. As a matter of fact, Top 40 music was improving month by month in the early 1960's, only to be temporarily interrupted by Beatlemania in 1964 and early 65.
When Green Onions was on the radio, we (American kids) were in love with President Kennedy. Nikita Kruschev was the worst horror novel villain to ever exist. We didn't know it, but we were less than 2 months from the Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred in late October 1962. One day in late October 1962, I asked my parents if we would be alive the next day. My mom pondered for a second, and with a serious look on her face she said "we think so." When information declassified ~50 years later, I found out just how close my mom was to being wrong.
SteveT
Steve Litt
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participants (6)
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Colin McGregor -
James Knott -
Peter King -
Scott Allen -
Steve Litt -
William Park