Sony Soutina: Tubular speaker concept becomes reality

Given that concepts are a penny a dozen, it's no surprise that most never make it off the drawing board at most companies -- and Sony is no exception. So it is with some surprise that the company has decided to take that rare step and make one of them a reality.

Sony's Soutina (purportedly a mashup of 'sound' and 'fountain') first made the rounds in draftboard form last year under a different name. But now the unusually designed acrylic speaker -- which is described as "a transparent organic glass tube that vibrates and expands 360 degrees" -- will be released on 20 June in Japan.

There is the small matter of its price, however: $9,600 (£4,900), according to the Associated Press, which estimates the 1m-tall Soutina to be "slightly thicker than a baseball bat". But hey, you can always pretend it's a giant lightsaber. -Mike Yamamoto