The article goes into 3 reasons why we’re obsessed with hoarding information:

1. We’re wired to hoard
2. We crave acceptance from our peers
3. It’s now easier than ever

There’s some good stuff in there, so it’s worth a read.

What about you? Do you enjoy what you’re doing? Or are you obsessed with sharing it?

(sorry it’s a short post, but I’m n a crummy EDGE connection and it’s taken me 30 mins to get this far! Not much in terms of 3G coverage in Minhead!)

Anyway, I’ve got a brand new theme in place, the awesome BlogIT! WordPress theme by my mate Hyder. You’ll have to bear with me while I find my feet, these theme makes excellent use of any graphical resources you have on your blog, and to be perfectly honest, I’ve never really devoted much attention to styling. So I’m resting on the theme for that, but hopefully, I’ll be learning as I go along and the site will look prettier and prettier

Have a poke around and let me know what you think!

Here’s how a reverse mortgage works. A reverse mortgage is really just an equity loan secured by your home, designed to defer the mortgage interest. This means that you can borrow a sum of money against the house you’re living in, which will be repaid (together with interest) on your demise or when you decide to move out of the house. You can choose to pay it back at any time, but if you decide not to, it will be down to your heirs or estate to settle the amount after they have sold your house. I don’t know how it works in other countries, but based on what I was reading in the U.S. you have to be 62 years old or older and have substantial equity in your home before you are eligible for a Reverse Mortgage.

So, is a Reverse Mortgage a good idea or not? Well, it all depends on your circumstances I guess. Personally I like the idea that my property will be inherited by my kids, so I would probably never go down that route, but I’m sure there are people out there who would be interested in something like this. I can think of a number of cases, like if there are no heirs, or if someone needs a cash infusion which they are planning to pay off, then it might be just right for them.

The thing about investments and financial products is that you should always get advice from the experts. Find someone who you trust for advice and ask them what they think. And don’t be afraid to get a second opinion either. I don’t consider myself an expert in this field, so would always look to learn more before deciding to embark on something like this. Remember, a perfect solution for one person may not necessarily apply to someone else, as everyone’s circumstances are different.

Image via Wikipedia

Yay! It’s time for Third Thursday again, the monthly meetup for people interested in Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and all the social networking sites we have to be part of today. If you’ve never joined us, we meet up once a month, on the Third Thursday of the month, at Paparazzi in Douglas for a bite to eat and a chance to swap stories.

To keep things interesting, I’m thinking that this month we should all bring our favourite social app with us to show to others. I’m getting more and more into Path, I know others are discovering Pinterest, and I’ve just come across Wozzon. Come and share with the rest of the group what you like about it, and how you see it influencing your behaviour and that of your social network.

So, we’ll see you all on Thursday 15th March at 12:30 down at Paparazzi on the prom. It’s an open invite so feel free to bring friends and colleagues who may be interested in Social Media. If you get it, share it!

NTEC (North Texas Enterprise Center for Technology) is an non-profit organisation that assists entrepreneurs with starting and growing new technology ventures, particularly in clean tech and medical technology. It’s an interesting set up that provides a positive incubation environment where a product or service can be taken from inception all the way to a market offering. Their services start from office space Frisco Texas being where they are based. They can provide entire offices or just cubicle space and more importantly can also provide lab space. The office space is quite important (after all, if you’re starting a new venture, you don’t really want to be worrying about print management solutions or content management development) but they offer much more than that. NTEC also provide the companies who work with them with access to a number of advisory services that include:

• Business Plan Enhancement
• Mentoring
• Investment Capital
• Intern Support
• Management Training

and a number of other services. It’s actually pretty cool that this sort of incubator set up is available for someone starting down a development route.

It’s a well-known statistic that a large proportion of new businesses fail in their initial years. The reality is that there is a lot of support available out there. Incubators exist to assist entrepreneurs through this difficult period so if you’re thinking of setting down this route, make sure you know what options are available and make good use of them.

The aim is to raise awareness of this important building in Douglas and show what an asset it could be rather that the sorry sight it has become. We are supporting the Manx Educational Foundations proposal to turn this landmark building into an ICT centre of excellence, which will not only bring much needed investment into the Manx Construction Industry, it will also encourage a high level of computer students to study and live here in the Isle of Man.

Here’s a poster for the event. Kudos to the boys down at Luminaires for making this happen! I’ll probably manage to be there! Who else is coming?

For those not involved in guerrilla lighting before, here’s a short video about it:

We did come across some kitchen cabinets we like at the Kitchen Cabinet Depot. They’re based in the US, so we won’t be ordering directly from them, but as far as ideas are concerned, their ranges are a source of great inspiration. I was looking at their Venetian White range for example. You can see all the different units that they produce. They are delivered as flat-packed furniture, ready for assembly, but just the sheer range of choice is staggering. You can literally design and build your own unique kitchen, just by picked out the standard bits you’re after and putting everything together yourself (a bit like Lego for your kitchen).

Here’s another cool thing about the Kitchen Cabinet Depot. They have a Green Pledge which states that for every order that gets placed with them, they will plant a tree to replenish the wood that was used in the making of the kitchen. It’s a great idea and one I’m sure their customers will back fully. Yes, when buying a kitchen, your main focus is going to be one of form or function, but it’s nice to know that a moral choice has been made and it’s a great story to tell about your kitchen.

Anyway, I’ll be looking for more ideas in the near future, as we try to decide what our new kitchen will look like. Any suggestions or recommendations, just go ahead and drop in a comment!

photo credit: Sebastian Mary

Don’t you love it when Third Thursday sneaks up on you? It’s happened again this month, so it’s time to make sure that everyone else knows it’s here!

So what exactly happens on Third Thursday? Well, it’s the customary lunch date for the Isle of Man Social Media Club, a gathering for people interested in Social Media, whether it’s for work reasons, or just for fun. We meet up for lunch to share the latest stories, trade lessons and talk about emerging technologies. It’s a bit of fun, but also a great way to learn what’s going on in the world of Social Networking.

The lunch is open to anyone, whether you’re an avid Flickr user, just discovered Pinterest or if you’ve been on Facebook ever since it opened it’s doors. Come join us at Paparazzi at 12:30 on Thursday 16th February. You’re bound to meet some online friends and make some new ones.

Video Marketing On Demand – Documentary Trailer from Your Movie Crew on Vimeo.

The film features case studies of Manx businesses who use video in their marketing mix and also takes expert opinions from a number of Isle Of Man based specialists and has been shot, edited & animated by yourmoviecrew.com

As part of the production, they are looking for YOUR input in their video marketing survey. They will present the results in an animated infographic during the finished film. You can participate in the survey here.

Tickets for the premiere at the Palace Cinema on 29th February available here. See you there!