Category: Technology

New Handle for Our YouTube Channel

YouTube has recently introduced “handles” for YouTube channels. Simply stated, these are easier ways to access channels, rather than using the long and hard-to-remember URL characters. For example, the regular URL for The Family History Guide YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSdEueFFI669fDBwILOCDvw Not so easy, is it? Now for the new handle: you can also access our YouTube Channel with this: https://www.youtube.com/@thefamilyhistoryguide ...

MyHeritage Census Helper™ Gets a Major Upgrade

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. MyHeritage Census Helper™ Quoting from a press release: Just before the release of the 1950 U.S. Census in April 2022, we released the Census Helper™, a tool that scans your family tree and compiles a list of your relatives who are very likely to be found in census records....

FamilySearch’s Use of Artificial Intelligence and Handwriting Recognition

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/familysearch-get-involved-online-volunteer-experience I have been involved with learning about and reporting about handwriting recognition for genealogical research for a long time. I always thought about it being something distant in the future. Well, apparently, the future is now. In the past few years, organizations such as the Brigham...

New Video: Technology – Increasing Access to Archives

We’ve added a new QRB (Quick Research Basics) video to our YouTube Channel. This one is by Miles Meyer, Education Director for The Family History Guide Association and a frequent presenter at RootsTech. It’s titled “Technology – Increasing Access to Archives” and it discusses the following key topics, among others: Purpose and limitations of archives Microfilm and digitization projects Advances...

Using Chrome Remote Desktop to Help Others

Helping others with their family history can be a rewarding but also challenging experience. Sometimes a verbal explanation is enough, or referring them to a resource like The Family History Guide for following steps, reading articles, or watching videos. Other times you can give a demonstration of what to do, using your own computer or device. But there are some...

FamilySearch and Computer-assisted Indexing for Digitized Records

Note: This article was previously published on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2021-10-29/computer-assisted-indexing-familysearch-records-231067This article is interesting from several different aspects. First, there are some interesting and updated statistics. Here is a quote with some of the statistics from the above linked article to start out. In September, FamilySearch announced a milestone 83 years in the making — the completion...

Podcast: Scott Fisher (ExtremeGenes.com) and Bob Taylor (TFHG)

Scott Fisher is one of the leading genealogy podcasters in America. Through his nationally syndicated radio show and podcast, “Extreme Genes,” as well as his courses, Fisher inspires a feeling in his followers of “I really can do this!” for over 300,000 people a month. This past week, Scott got together with Bob Taylor to talk about The Family History...

Update on the Digital Public Library of America

Note: This article was previously published on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. From time to time in the past, I have written about the Digital Public Library of America. As you can see from this screenshot, the DPLA now has well over 44 million images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States. If you visit the website, you will...

Genealogy in a Zoom World

Note: This article by James Tanner was published previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission.   During the recent RootsTech Connect 2021 Conference, I participated in an outreach program sponsored by the Salt Lake City, Utah Family History Library. The Family History Library has an extensive system of online consultations. Here is a screenshot...

Will Computers Ever Change Genealogical Methodology?

Note: This article by James Tanner originally appeared in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission. I have been reviewing a few of the books from my collection of older genealogical publications dating back into the early 1900s. It is always amazing to me how much of what is written accurately reflects exactly what is...