Anime Vice News

Bing Anime Mascots Offer Digital Gifties

Want some cute sounds for your computer? Check 'em out.


Not sure how many of you heard the news a while ago that the new search engine, Bing, hired on a bunch of voice actresses-- including Saki Fujita, the woman whose voice was sampled to create your favorite non-anime-non-manga-non-game character, Miku Hatsune.

Well, the latest piece of news: the mascots have reached their click goal and have kept their promise: they released a bunch more special digital prizes, aimed at Windows users (but not completely worthless for you Mac-lovers). 
 
For Windows 7 users, there's a new themepack for each character, and for Vista and XP users, a new pack of audio files for each mascot character. And you can download them even if you're not in Japan, so-- sweet! Maybe if I wind up buying a new laptop with Win7 tonight I'll have to check it out. Each pack has a WAV file for the following events: window maximization and minimization, alert, battery low, battery off, bing searching, plugging in and unplugging devices, logging on and off, mail and message notifications, system error, emptying the trash, and closing a window.

The characters and their respective voice actresses are:
  • Nanae - Eriko Nakamura - Gintama's Matsuko, Koihime Musou's Enjutsu - The responsible, clever, but occasionally frantic boss lady.
  • Nana - Ai Matayoshi - Yozakura Quartet's Rin, Saki's Seika Bundou - The cute, young, precocious girl.
  • Nanako - Juri Takita - Nodame Cantabile: Parihen's Noemi Creve - The sweet, kind girl.
  • Nanami - Asami Imai - Needless' Solva, Strait Jacket's Rachel Hammond - She calls you master in the samples, and now in the new wav pack (but not in the original one).
  • Nanao - Saki Fujita - Miku Hatsune, Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~'s Mina Yayoi - The energetic tomboy girl.
 
 Nanao, played by Miku Hatsune singer Saki Fujita
 Nanao, played by Miku Hatsune singer Saki Fujita

You know, it's cute that they used "Nana" (7, as in Windows 7) in all of the girls' names, but doesn't that also mean there should be seven of 'em? Anyway, click here for the NEW downloads, or here for the originals, and thanks to reader mattmagician for the tip!
JJOR64on Jan. 19, 2010 at 11:23 a.m.
I've never tried Bing yet, but that's pretty neat.
Zeouterlimitson Jan. 19, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.
I normally turn off all Windows sounds... but I actually really like this.
giaon Jan. 19, 2010 at 11:35 a.m.
@Zeouterlimits: Yeah. If only I could get Marina Inoue or Maaya Sakamoto or someone to do some awesome in-character ones. >D
 
Maybe we should put together a Geekachu soundpack. ^_~
Zeouterlimitson Jan. 19, 2010 at noon
@gia:    If only I could get Marina Inoue or Maaya Sakamoto .  
*sigh*
giaon Jan. 19, 2010 at 12:39 p.m.
@Zeouterlimits: Indeed.
John_Martoneon Jan. 20, 2010 at 12:49 p.m.
@Zeouterlimits: I dunno, I'm with you though, I haven't had those noises on in like, a decade.

Dig Deeper into Asami Imai

A voice actress best known for her role of Solva in Needless and for being a mascot for search engine Bing.

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