Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

(+) A Few Words about PowerPoint

The following is a Plus Edition article, written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

Warning: This article contains personal opinions.

As you might expect with any conference of 150 or more presentations, there are many stories to be told at most any major genealogy conference. One that I hear often concerns the high failure rate of hardware and software among the presenters. At some national conferences, I have heard stories of no less five or six different presenters who experienced major problems with their laptop computers, operating system, projectors, PowerPoint slides, or other critical computer tools.

Some of the problems happen at the very last moment as the presenters are setting up at the podium to begin their talks. I was involved with one such problem recently when the presenter suddenly found that the only copies of her PowerPoint slides for two presentations were corrupted and could not be used. Several people, myself included, worked on her files in an attempt to salvage anything at all, but we all were unsuccessful.

FGS 2012 Conference News: New Keynote Speaker

The following announcement was written by the Federation of Genealogical Societies:

Readers may be aware that Jay Verkler, former President and CEO of FamilySearch has ventured forth to a new job. Unfortunately that means he isn't able to be our keynote speaker at the 2012 Federation of Genealogical Societies/Alabama Genealogical Society Conference. Jay is a cool guy and always friendly. We wish him well in his new ventures. However we are so lucky to have another cool and friendly guy to step in as the keynote speaker on Thursday, 30 August in Birmingham. Chris van der Kuyl is that guy! As CEO of brightsolid, he is bringing findmypast.com to the U.S. You may know about the popular findmypast.co.uk which is a solid and important site for UK research. His FGS keynote topic and bio:

JoGG Announces a New Editor: Dr. Turi King

The following announcement was written by the Journal of Genetic Genealogy:

The editorial board of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (JoGG) is very pleased to announce that Dr. Turi King has accepted the position of editor.

Dr. King's PhD thesis topic was The relationship between British surnames and Y-chromosomal haplotypes  and she is also co-author (with George Redmonds and David Hey) of the book Surnames, DNA and Family History. Dr. King is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester, where she is the manager for an interdisciplinary project The Impact of Diasporas in the Making of Britain. The scope of that project makes her familiar with many aspects of genetic genealogy. More details about her background and interests can be found at http://www.le.ac.uk/users/tek2/tek2.html.

"On This Day" Home-screen Widget for Android

The following announcement was written by Douglas Gordon of GHCS Software:

We would like to announce an exciting and useful new product that is available right now at the Google Play store. It is an extension to GedStar Pro in the form of a home-screen widget.

Place this widget on one of your home screens and it will keep you informed each day of the number of births, deaths, and marriages that occurred in your family tree. This is what it looks like:



If you tap the widget, it brings up the details screen, such as:

Maryland State Archives Runs Out of Space

The Maryland State Archives collection is among the largest in the country with nearly 400 years of history, including Colonial-era paintings, keepsakes of the state’s governors, and thousands of land, court and genealogy records. With all that history, the Archives has run out of space.

The agency first filled its Annapolis headquarters to capacity in 2000, then leased and filled a warehouse. It leased a second warehouse and a third before brokering a deal to store some of its property at the Baltimore City Archives. All of the facilities are now full, and state archivists have been pushing for more space since 2005.

The situation is now approaching a critical point.

ISGS Announces $10,000 War of 1812 Pension Match Challenge

The following announcement was written by the Illinois State Genealogical Society:

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is proud to support the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ “Preserve the Pensions” campaign.

In support of this digitization project the ISGS announces the ISGS $10,000 War of 1812 Pension Match Challenge. ISGS will MATCH any contribution (up to the first $10,000) made to the Preserve the Pensions project before December 31, 2012. For instance, if you donate $100, the ISGS will match your contribution for a total of $200! In addition, Ancestry.com has announced it will also match ALL ISGS contributions which would mean any contribution you make will actually be QUADRUPLED! Your $100 contribution would become a $400 contribution! Any size contribution is welcome! A $10 contribution equals about 80 pages of Pension files digitized as part of the Preserve the Pensions project.

Yolo County, California, Archives Open to the Public Two Days Per Week or by Appointment

The Yolo County Archives in Woodland, California, are open to the public two days per week or by appointment. Researchers are welcome 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Up to four researchers are able to use the facilities at a time. Reservations are recommended. To make an appointment, call 530-666-8010

According to new archivist Analu Josephides, the top four accessed records are obituaries, newspapers, Board of Supervisor minutes and land records. Coroner's reports are also popular, according to Josephides. Other documents available to the public are marriages, probates, assessor documents, war veteran records, criminal and civil cases, tax assessments, yearbooks, land deeds, farm bureau records, hospital records and more.

Within the archives, primary records date back to 1850. Secondary records, such as photocopies, can pre-date 1850.

My Interview with Nick Barratt

I had the tables turned on me when Nick Barratt asked to interview me on his and Laura Berry's Family History Show. Nick and I talked mostly about the future of genealogy, especially about DNA.  The Family History Show is a monthly video podcast or 'vodcast' where Nick and Laura showcase the latest in genealogy and personal heritage.

The interview is available at http://www.familyhistoryshow.net/the-vodcasts/episode-7/interview-with-dick-eastman.

Canadians will Celebrate the War of 1812 more than the Americans

Writing in USA Today, Rick Hampson states:

Canadians, whose forebears helped repulse several U.S. invasions in 1812, regard the war that began 200 years ago Monday as a crucible of national identity. For them, its bicentennial is a big deal.

Americans, on the other hand, are familiar with the 1959 hit song The Battle of New Orleans and have a vague image of Dolley Madison fleeing the White House ahead of torch-brandishing Royal Marines with a portrait of George Washington under her arm.

DNA Ancestry with Pinpoint Accuracy

Until a few years ago, most ancestry tests for individuals relied on short stretches of DNA in cell-powering organelles called mitochondria, which are inherited through the mother, or on the Y chromosome, which a father passes down to his sons. While providing very accurate information about father/son relationships, these tests were not always so accurate about the geographical origins of earlier ancestors.

For example, a set of Y-chromosome markers called Haplogroup R1b is common among Western European men, but a small fraction of North Africans have it, too. Similarly, “if men have a Y chromosome that is more common in Scandinavia than England, they’re convinced they’re a Viking”, says Mark Jobling, a geneticist at the University of Leicester, UK. But that is not necessarily the case. Such nuances are not always conveyed by the companies that offer such services, notes Jobling. What’s more, Y-chromosome or mitochondrial markers trace only one strand in a person’s ancestry.

Desktop Linux: The Dream Is Dead

I have written many times about using Linux on a desktop computer. (You can see my past articles if you start at http://goo.gl/6ZI2V.) In fact, I prefer Linux. I like it better than Windows or Macintosh. Not only is Linux available free of charge, but it also has better security than either Windows or Macintosh.

Using virtual machine software, I can run Linux simultaneously with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems on the computer I am using at this moment. However, I rarely do so as Linux doesn't have as many applications as does Windows or Macintosh. As much as I like Linux, I end up using the Macintosh operating system much more.

Scanning Books in the Family History Library: Not Everyone is Happy

Warning: This article contains personal opinions.

I received an email message from a newsletter reader expressing dismay with the procedure being used to digitize books at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. I answered the message and then decided to share my answers here with others in case anyone else has similar concerns.

I suspect this person is not happy with my reply.

At the request of my correspondent, I have deleted the person's name. I also edited the message a bit for brevity and also to delete a couple of identifying comments. However, I do believe I have captured all the concerns that were expressed.

Here is the (slightly edited) message I received:

(+) Digitize Your Life

The following is a Plus Edition article, written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

One of my ongoing projects involves digitizing most every document that I might need in the future and then having it available at my fingertips at any time. You might consider doing the same. Today's technology makes it simple to have all your required documents available whenever you need them.

For instance, I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and the doctor asked what medications I was taking. In fact, I take several medications, and each has a long name that looks like a mumbo-jumbo collection of random letters. I can't remember the names. Instead, I grabbed my ”smartphone,” touched an icon for my notes program, entered "prescriptions," and then touched SEARCH. A second or two later, a list of my prescribed medications appeared on the screen of the cell phone, which I was able to show to the doctor. Total time elapsed: about twenty seconds.

Announcing a New Online Guide for Genealogists

Drew Bartley is a well-known professional genealogist who specializes in Vermont, colonial New England and upstate New York research, lineage society work, and especially with the Mayflower Society. (See his LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/drew-bartley/8/218/188.) Now he is launching a new project: an online genealogical guide for Massachusetts (and later for the rest of New England).
 
 The following is an extract from Drew's announcement:

I wanted to announce the first milestone of a new project that I am working on. The goal here is to create an online genealogical guide for Massachusetts (and with success, the rest of New England). The first milestone was achieved today with the completion of the Plymouth County page and pages for the towns within the county. Please check out Plymouth County at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Plymouth_County,_Massachusetts. The towns are links from here or can be found through the search box at the upper right of the page.

Original Recipe for Jack Daniel's has been Found

Businessman Mark Evans was researching his family history when he discovered the recipe for what later became Jack Daniel's in a book of herbal remedies. It was written in 1853 by his great-great grandmother who was called Daniels and was a local herbalist in Llanelli, South Wales.

Her brother-in-law left the Welsh town at about the same time to move to Lynchburg, Tennessee where the Jack Daniel's distillery was opened three years later.

A Computer for $44.99

UPDATE: This computer is now listed as SOLD OUT.

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This has to be the cheapest computer available today. It is a simple machine, to be sure. A well-known vendor on eBay is selling the Sylvania 7-inch Netbook Wi-Fi Wireless Mobile Internet Device for only $44.99, including FREE shipping to U.S. addresses. It is tiny and easily slips into a purse or an overcoat pocket. It has wireless wi-fi networking built in. It also includes a custom version of Internet Explorer, making it a great device for surfing the web. It includes a simple word processor and an equally simple spreadsheet program.
 
To be sure, this tiny computer is cheap in every sense of the word. I haven't had my hands on one yet but online reviews state that it doesn't have the greatest keyboard in the world. Also, a seven-inch screen is not suitable for everyone. However, that screen is bigger than the screens on most cell phones and many of us do surf the web and read and write email with our phones.

Dropbox Will Eliminate Public Folders for New Users

I have written often about Dropbox, a great service for copying files from one computer to another, or even to multiple computers. Dropbox also can perform backups of your most important files. DropBox also has many other features, including the ability to make files in a PUBLIC folder available on the World Wide Web, should you choose to do so. I wrote about that feature at length last year, even showing how to publish an entire genealogy web site on Dropbox. The article is still available at http://goo.gl/QGc3I.

Dropbox will soon stop the PUBLIC folder service for new users although it is replacing it with a new feature. Existing users will continue to be able to use PUBLIC folder for some time; only new users will be blocked from using it.

Triggertrap Converts Your iPhone into a Remote Control for Your Camera

Wouldn't you like to trigger your camera with your iPhone? Triggertrap Mobile is an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application that turns your device into a smart camera trigger capable of making your camera take a photo at exactly the right moment. If you have ever wanted a remote shutter control cable or perhaps wanted to shoot time lapse photos or add any of several other advanced features to your digital SLR camera, Triggertrap Mobile may be the application for you.


Triggertrap Mobile works with any of more than 300 supported cameras. The list includes most digital SLR cameras as well as a number of lower-priced "pocket cameras," although not all of them. If you don't want to control an external camera, the app can also be used to trigger the internal camera in the iPhone or other iOS5 device

ScionPC: a Genealogical Management System for Windows

ScionPC is free, full-featured, genealogy program from New Zealand that features an easy-to-use interface, ideal for both the novice and the experienced genealogist. The program makes no assumptions about the people being recorded. It has no checking on sex (to allow for unconventional relationships), and has no naming constraints (to allow for adopted children). The partners of a family group (or marriage/union) are referred to as "Prime" and "Partner" rather than "Husband & Wife" or "Father & Mother." Either partner can be the Prime.

ScionPC also features extensive free-form notes and source citations. In addition, external files may be attached to any person or family in the program's database. Other features include dynamic on-screen ancestor and descendant charts, extensive on-line help, as well as powerful searching and filtering. One unique feature is the program's "open" XML database file format.

PhotoStitcher for Windows and Macintosh

PhotoStitcher is a program that automatically combines overlapping photos to produce a perfect panoramic image. I can see many uses for this but genealogists will especially appreciate the program when scanning oversized documents or pictures.

Perhaps you are scanning a document or a map that is too large for your scanner. You end up creating two or even more scans. Each time you create a scanned image of only part of the document. By using PhotoStitcher, you can later merge the different scans into one larger image that contains the entire document.