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I already own a video camera but I always found it awkward to use. My old Canon digital camcorder has served well but I purchased it several years ago, and it is typical of the handheld video cameras of the time. It records only to video tape, does not have automatic white balance, and is missing many other features found on most of today's camcorders.
Copying video from the older camcorder to my computer is possible. In fact, I created a great movie of my daughter's wedding. However, the process was a bit complex. First, I had to find a computer with a Firewire connection, and even then it had to be a Firewire 400 connector. My primary desktop computer that I would like to use for video editing only has a Firewire 800 connector. Admittedly, adapters are available; but, that adds one more item to the list of complexities. Then I had to purchase a Firewire cable.
Next, copying from a tape-based camcorder to a computer is a bit awkward. I appreciate the fact that today's latest camcorders record to flash memory. The process of copying from a flash memory card to a computer is much, much simpler than the hoops I had to jump through to copy from tape to the computer.
A special City Council-appointed commission has issued a report critical of how the city’s historical records are stored. It recommended either moving the archives, currently housed in a space under the City Hall dome, or overhauling the moldy, dusty and poorly secured space.
The report, compiled by a five-member commission headed by City Clerk Anna M. Stetson, said the current archive is “grossly inadequate” and presents “significant security, environmental and storage issues.”
The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.
Would you like to SIMULTANEOUSLY run Windows XP and Windows 7 and Windows 98 and MS-DOS and Linux and Macintosh and perhaps other operating systems, all on one computer? You can do it with virtual computing.
Did you upgrade to Windows Vista or Windows 7, only to find that genealogy program you purchased years ago for Windows 98 won't work? No problem, you can install and use Windows 98 while still simultaneously running Vista or Windows 7.
Writing in his “Hub City Historian” blog, Brad Steinecke describes his discovery of a dusty, unlabeled ledger that contained the minutes for the Spartanburg County Commissioners of the Poor from 1796 to 1827.
Synium Software has released MacFamilyTree 5.7.6 and, to explain its use, a new online video is also available.
I have written reviews in the past of earlier versions of this powerful Macintosh genealogy program with the latest review available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/07/macfamilytree-version-56.html. However, I always had difficulties describing the program's "Virtual Tree," a very visual part of the program. Luckily for me, there is a new online video that shows the Virtual Tree in operation, along with other features. Even Windows users can watch the video although a Mac is obviously needed to run MacFamilyTree.
Patent No. 7,724,981 has been awarded to Donald B. Curtis of Highland, Utah, then assigned to Ancestry.com Operations Inc. of Provo. The patent title is "Adaptive contrast control systems and methods" which doesn't sound like a genealogy product. However, a closer examination shows that it might become one of the most valuable inventions of all time for genealogists.
"Adaptive contrast control systems and methods" really means "improving the quality of electronic documents through adaptive contrast control." In other words, making illegible documents legible again.
Genealogists will find it easier to trace their lineage after council archives became available online this week. Researchers will be able to search 46 collections relating to Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils. The collections, which consist of 23,300 entries, include school records, parochial board, poor relief and burial registers, as well as militia records.
The project, which was made possible by a grant from the common good fund, also allows users to scan burial registers and print off certificates for a small fee. Users can buy copies of records for between £1.50 and £5, depending on the nature and age of the document.
Would you like to publish your genealogy (or other) book to a wide audience? Apple is now an alternative to traditional publishers. The company this week opened a new portal for independent authors to self-publish their books for the iBooks Store open to iPad (and soon iPhone) customers. Best of all, the author/publisher receives royalties on every sale.
Apple’s iTunes Connect program has a section where authors can self-publish their work under certain formatting requirements, MacLife first reported. Basically, the books must be made in the ePub format like the rest of the offerings in the iBooks Store.
The St. Louis Business Journal is reporting that the St. Louis County Library Foundation plans to break ground late this year on a Family Heritage Center in Chesterfield, Missouri, to house the library system’s popular genealogy research collections. The Family Heritage Center, expected to open by 2012, is to be built on six acres near Baxter and Wild Horse Creek roads in Chesterfield, west of Chesterfield Mall. Louis Sachs, chairman of Sachs Properties, donated land for the project.
The following announcement was written by Darrin Lythgoe, author of The Next Generation software:
TNG 8 is Here
SANDY, Utah. -- Version 8 of The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ("TNG"), is now available from Next Generation Software. More than 100 new features, enhancements and adjustments have been added to the popular program.
Already known for creating polished, easy-to-use and fun-to-build genealogy web sites, TNG now includes the following improvements:
President Obama recognized Jewish heritage in the U.S. at a White House reception observing Jewish American Heritage Month. "This is a pretty fancy ... pretty distinguished group," he said of the invited guests, which included members of the House and Senate, two justices of the Supreme Court, Olympic athletes, entrepreneurs, Rabbinical scholars, "and Sandy Koufax."
Koufax's name produced the loudest cheer from the guests.
The president spoke of "the diversity of talents and accomplishments" that reflect the Jewish-American heritage dating back to pre-Revolutionary times.
The findmypast.com blog has a story about the records of men who were pensioned out of the British Army between 1873 and 1882 now available on findmypast.co.uk. More than 400,000 records (comprising more than 2.5 million images) are available now with the remainder scheduled to be added later this year and next year as well.
The announcement points out that the national ID cards did not achieve the goals of reducing fraud, illegal immigration and identity theft but did infringe on privacy. Also, the program cost 800 million pounds per year but produced little in return.
The following announcement was written by Archives.com:
PALO ALTO, CALIF. - May 27, 2010 - Archives.com, a website devoted to making family history simple and affordable, announced today that they have donated complimentary three month memberships to all 9,000 members of the National Genealogical Society (NGS). These complimentary memberships give NGS members unlimited access to over 1.2 billion records on Archives.com, as well as online family tree software, Expert Series articles, hours of professional tutorial videos, and other exclusive benefits.
Here's a test: go to http://www.Google.com and enter your Social Security Number. Are you identified? (See the note at the end of this article.)
A woman in Washington State did just that and was shocked to find her Social Security Number and her name listed on a web site. Even worse was the site: it was owned and operated by the State of Washington's Secretary of State. In fact, the same site lists names and Social Security Number of other state residents as well.
The following note was received from Sylvie Tremblay of Library and Archives Canada:
I am pleased to inform you that new html pages are available on the Canadian Genealogy Centre pages from Library and Archives Canada website.
Transcriptions of census column headings for all census from 1851 to 1916 are now available for our users. It was very difficult to read those headings even if you enlarge the census images. Now it will be easier for our users to associate content of columns with the proper headings.
The following is a Plus Edition article, written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.
Genealogists usually find deceased people. However, the skills we have acquired can often be put to use finding living people as well. Perhaps you want to locate a living distant cousin or two. You might want to check up on that new neighbor or the person who applied for a job at the office. Maybe you are interested in the background of your daughter's new boyfriend. Whatever the reason, modern online tools can be a big help.
Google is your friend
Of course, the first place you start is at Google.com. Everyone's favorite search engine collects most everything. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint. For now, let's ignore the good versus evil debate and just look for information.
John Crudele has an article in the New York Post about our beloved Census Bureau. He writes:
You know the old saying: "Everyone loves a charade." Well, it seems that the Census Bureau may be playing games.
Last week, one of the millions of workers hired by Census 2010 to parade around the country counting Americans blew the whistle on some statistical tricks.
When researching ancestors in Canada, you may find records that state they lived in Upper Canada or in Lower Canada. Where are those places? The Atlas of Canada can tell you.
Natural Resources Canada has a Web site with many maps, including today's political divisions, ecology, rivers, population, agriculture, mining, climate change, relief maps and much, much more. However, genealogists will be attracted to the Map Archives and historical maps.
My grandfather owned a horse and a farm wagon, roughly the 1890s equivalent of the pickup truck of today. He traveled around the farming village where he lived at 3 or 4 miles per hour. When he needed to travel a longer distance, such as to the nearby city, he rode a train that reached speeds as high as 35 mph. Granddad never bought one of those new-fangled automobiles.
My father was of “the modern generation.” His first car was a well-used Model A Ford, and he went on to own an assortment of Fords, Plymouths, DeSotos, and Dodges over the years. Oh yes, one year when he worked a lot of overtime in the local factory, he bought a Cadillac. He drove most everywhere he wanted to go. He drove 50 or 60 miles an hour most everywhere. I don’t remember him ever taking a train.
Copying video from the older camcorder to my computer is possible. In fact, I created a great movie of my daughter's wedding. However, the process was a bit complex. First, I had to find a computer with a Firewire connection, and even then it had to be a Firewire 400 connector. My primary desktop computer that I would like to use for video editing only has a Firewire 800 connector. Admittedly, adapters are available; but, that adds one more item to the list of complexities. Then I had to purchase a Firewire cable.
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