Pop princess Hatsune Miku is storming the music scene. 
 
 With her long cerulean pigtails and her part-schoolgirl, part-spy outfit, she’s easy on the eyes. Yes, her voice sounds like it might have gone through a little –- OK, a lot –- of studio magic. Legions of screaming fans and the requisite fan sites? She’s got 'em. 
 
 And, like many of her hot young singer peers, Miku is extremely, proudly fake. Like, 3-D hologram fake. 
 
 Miku is a singing, digital avatar created by Crypton Future Media that customers can purchase and then program to perform any song on a computer. 
 
 Crypton uses voices recorded by actors and runs them through Yamaha Corp.’s Vocaloid software -– marketed as “a singer in a box.” The result: A synthesized songstress that sounds far better than you ever have in your shower. 
 
 Crypton has even set up a record label called KarenT, with its own YouTube channel. The Vocaloidism blog has more details about the software. 
 
 A few months ago, a 3-D projection of Miku pranced around several stadium stages as part of a concert tour, where capacity crowds waved their glow sticks and sang along. Here's the starlet performing a jingle titled, appropriately, "World Is Mine." 
 
 The Blu-ray and DVD recordings of those events were recently released, according to SingularityHub, which also has more videos. 
 
 The virtual diva’s albums have also topped the Japanese charts. She’s on Facebook. We’ve seen living, breathing musicians at the Hollywood Bowl get less love. 
 
 It all reminds us a bit of S1m0ne. Remember her? She’s the sultry actress who captivated adoring audiences in the eponymous 2002 film. She was also completely computer-generated by Al Pacino’s character. 
 
 Somewhere, we bet she’s a little bit jealous. 
 
 --Tiffany Hsu 
 
 Photo (top): Project Diva 
 
 Photo (bottom): Al Pacino in S1m0ne. Darren Michaels/New Line Productions ||||| According to a press release from AH-Software, VOCALOID4 updated versions of Nekomura Iroha and miki will be released on June 18. VOCALOID4 Nekomura Iroha will come in Natural and Soft versions, with the former being an augmented version of the original VOCALOID2 sound bank and the latter being an all-new sound bank for more gentle 
 
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– We have met the future and it is a tinny-voiced giant green hologram performing at sold-out concerts in Japan. Crypton Future Media has launched a pop tour of holographic singing sensation Hatsune Miku, backed by a band of real human beings, notes the Los Angeles Times. The pig-tailed child-vamp is an anime creation using Yamaha's Vocaloid software, which presents songs in synthesized voices. Even better than other concert stars, this avatar can be purchased and will march to any tune you choose. For more on "Vocaloidism," click here.