SkreemR 2.0

SkreemR is one of the most popular mp3 search engines. Unfortunately, the interface is very lacking to say the least. It looks like a website from the early 1990s, which is a shame because the functionality is very good, specially the in-page mp3 player that allows you to play the search results without leaving the page.

I got frustrated with the interface and decided to do something about it. I started writing a Greasemonkey script. Greasemonkey is a Firefox plugin that allows you to install scripts that modify the way websites look and behave, anything from a small section to the entire page, everything is possible.

My goal was to write an interface as compact as possible, without all the garbage that the original site had, and without having to scroll so much to go through the results. The result was a very minimal interface that's very easy to navigate. I call it SkreemR 2.0.

I upoloaded the script to userscripts.org, a site that hosts Greasemonkey scripts. Check it out here.

A State Of Trance 400

I'm currently listening to the special 72-hour long Episode 400 of A State of Trance, a weekly radio show by Armin van Buuren featuring the latest in Trance and Progressive music. The show has been on air for 8 years, and has helped kick start the careers of many DJs and producers.

This latest episode is a massive event spanning 3 countries, with Armin and other DJs playing live every night in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, while guest mixes and older episodes are played during the day between live sets.

This is definitely one of the biggest events in the trance scene this year. For anyone who's interested in electronic music, check it out at http://www.astateoftrance.com.

Too much news

Lately, my Google Reader 'unread items' count has been increasing steadily. at one points it reached almost 900 unread articles. I've had less time to read news lately, but the main cause is that Engadget and Joystiq, my two main sources of news, have been increasing their post count by mostly adding fluff news that I don't really care about, averaging about 36 and 28 articles per day respectively. While Download Squad, one of my favourite sites averages 10 posts per day. Checking my Google Reader stats, I've been reading around 100 posts a day.

I prefer quality over quantity. The top news blogs need to focus on providing a higher standard of news, and not just post everything they get their hands on.