.net vorbis ogg encoder (Part 1)

Quick post for all you techies out there - I've just spent the last two days working on a managed .Net library for Vorbis OGG encoding/decoding. There was one .net example I found out there (http://www.codeproject.com/KB/audio-video/OggPlayer.aspx) which didn't do the job well (it loaded the whole ogg file into memory before playing it) and didn't do encoding.

I'll post more info in a bit...

Music on demand

I've been using Spotify today.  It's not a treatment for acne; it is in fact a "free" music on demand service.  Like itunes, it allows you to choose music from it's online library but, unlike itunes, you can stream it for free.  In return you have to sit through a short advert every 20 mins.  You can pay a monthly or daily subscription to avoid the adverts.

I like the idea and I like their interface - it's quick and easy to use and seems to have a lot of music available.  The monthly subscription price is £9.99 which would translate into probably about 1 CD, but with this service you can listen to a whole load of new releases every month.  I guess it's a weigh-up of how much music you currently buy and how you like to listen to it.  I listen to most of my music whilst I'm working, so it makes me a happier man!

Guitar Hero Traffic

Invisible drum kit

No domes but one big arch

Laura and I spent the weekend in London culminating in a trip to the new Wembley to see Muse. I may be biased, but Muse surely must be one of the best live bands ever. Perhaps for crowd pleasing stadium anthems, Queen might win the crown, but for sheer musical awesomeness and the ability to sound forever tight and CD-like, Muse win hands down. I've heard that Matt Bellamy is supposed to be a bit arrogant, but maybe he's just heard himself play a few times.

Wembley was everything that it's cracked up to be - very big, difficult to get lost in, and full of people serving everything you could ever need for a Muse gig. Laura and I went to get some food to discover that the burger, chips and drink combo was £7:50 each. The surprise at the price was eclipsed, though, by the quality of the food. It was a gourmet burger! I didn't have to queue at all - not for the food, the bar or even the loo! After having seen Wembley I've got high hopes for Liverpool's new Stanley Park Stadium - don't let me down guys...

It all could have got nasty at the end as most of the 90,000 odd fans all tried to catch the same tube, but the police were great, letting the crowd through gradually to keep us safe. Unfortunately, though, it still took us 2 hours to get from the stadium to Dan's car which was parked 5 stops along the tube, and there was a lot of love on the tube with everyone pressed against windows and doors. When the doors opened, people kind of popped out onto the platform!

All in all, it was fantastic. Laura got the tickets back in December for my Christmas present - I love her more every day. (Particularly the days when she's brandishing tickets...)