When Sony launched the Walkman in 1979, it revolutionised listening to music. Thanks to the portable cassette player with headphones, young people could finally listen to their favourite sound on the go. Few people know that Willy Bogner Jr had already invented a strikingly similar device six years earlier, and that it may have served as inspiration for the Japanese! For the film “Skivision ‘73”, Willy Bogner constructed a portable cassette player and christened it “Ski-Fi” (after HiFi - High Fidelity), but did not apply for a patent. “At the time, I didn’t give it a second thought - it was fun, just a good idea.” The famous conductor Herbert von Karajan used one of these ski-fis. He also knew the Sony boss well and probably told him about the innovation. The rest is history ...