Get a Taste of RootsTech from Home

It seems like the whole world of genealogists are at RootsTech 2016 in Salt Lake City right now. Except us. We're missing out on all the fun. But wait. We can still be part of the fun, and do it from our own homes, and it won't cost us a penny.

As in years past, RootsTech 2016 will stream several sessions live on the RootsTech.org home page. And after the conference, recording of those sessions will be posted on the website for a limited time.

Below is the streaming schedule (all times are in MST):

Day	Time	Class Title	Speaker
Thursday	8:30 -10:00 a.m.	Thursday General Session	Steve Rockwood Paula Madison Bruce Feiler
	11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.	7 Unique Technologies for Genealogy Discoveries	Mike Mansfield
	1:30 - 2:30 p.m.	Best Websites and Apps for Local History	Amy Crow
	3:00 - 4:00 p.m.	What’s New in Family Tree in 2016	Ron Tanner
	4:30 - 5:30 p.m.	Virtual Family Reunions	Joseph Richardson
Friday	8:30 - 10:00 a.m.	Friday General Session	Josh and Naomi Davis (Love Taza) David Isay
	10:30 - 11:30 a.m.	RootsTech Innovator Showdown Finals
	1:30 - 2:30 p.m.	Proven Methodology for Using Google for Genealogy	Lisa Louise Cooke
	3:00 - 4:00 p.m.	Finding Elusive Records on FamilySearch.org	Robert Kehrer
	4:30 - 5:30 p.m.	My Ancestors Are from Britain—What Do I Do Next?	Myko Clelland
Saturday	8:30  - 10:00 a.m.	Saturday General Session	Michael Leavitt
	11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m..	Photos—Emerging Technologies in Photography	Jens Nielsen
	1:30 - 2:30 p.m.	Become a Master Searcher on Ancestry	Anne Mitchell
	3:00 - 4:00 p.m.	Homespun and Calico: Researching our Foremothers	Peggy Lauritzen
	4:30 - 5:30 p.m.	Using the Genealogical Proof Standard for Success	James Ison

Just go to the RootsTech home page at https://www.rootstech.org and watch on your computer, laptop, or tablet. The stream will automatically refresh at the befinning of each session. If it does not, you will need to refresh by clicking the Refresh button on your browser.

So, grab your favorite beverage, prop your feet up, and join the fun at RootsTech. You can even wear your pajamas and bunny slippers.

Return of Family Tree Maker

Ancestry.com made the following exciting announcement on their blog:

New Family Tree Maker Options
Posted by Kendall Hulet on February 2, 2016 in Family Tree Maker

Since our Family Tree Maker announcement last December, we have continued to actively explore ways to develop and support Family Tree Maker and ensure you have choices to preserve your work in ways that matter to you.

Today, I am pleased to announce two options for desktop software that will work with Ancestry.

Software MacKiev

Software MacKiev, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, is acquiring the Family Tree Maker software line as publisher for both Mac and Windows versions. Software MacKiev has been the developer of Family Tree Maker for Mac for more than six years and is thrilled at the opportunity to publish future versions of Family Tree Maker for Mac and Windows.

This new agreement means you will receive software updates and new versions from Software MacKiev, and have the ability to purchase new versions of Family Tree Maker from Software MacKiev as they are released. You will have continued access to Ancestry Hints, Ancestry searches, and be able to save your tree on Ancestry with Family Tree Maker moving forward.

RootsMagic

We have made an agreement with RootsMagic, a leading genealogy desktop software program publisher, to connect Ancestry with the RootsMagic software by the end of 2016. With this new relationship, RootsMagic can serve as your desktop family tree software, while having access to Ancestry hints, Ancestry searches, and the ability to save your tree on Ancestry.

These new agreements will make it possible to preserve your work on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker, and enable future features and benefits to help you discover your family history. Be assured that Ancestry, in cooperation with Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, will continue to support you as you discover your family history.

We ask for your patience as we work diligently through all the details to make these solutions available. Be sure to check back here on our blog as we share more information about Family Tree Maker in the next few months.

For more information on Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, click below:

    Software MacKiev: http://www.mackiev.com/
    RootsMagic: http://www.rootsmagic.com/

To read more about how RootsMagic plans to handle the migration of Family Tree Maker and the upgrade to search and sync with Ancestry, visit their blog post RootsMagic and Ancestry: Working Together at Last.  To get more information about the transition of Family Tree Maker to MacKiev, visit their FTM webpage at http://mackiev.com/ftm/index.html.

I imagine there are thousands of Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic users who feel like this right now:

Fold3 Anniversary Sale

Fold3 is celebrating their 9th anniversary by offering a 40% discount on their website until January 31, 2016.

Fold3 has many military records you won't find anywhere else. They have the complete Revolutionary War Service & Pension Records and Confederate Civil War Service Records. They also have:

• Union civil War Service Records
• Civil War Widows Records
• War of 1812 Pension Applications & Service Records
• Mexican War Service Records
• World War II Photos & Records
• Holocaust Collection
• Naturalization Records
• Native American Records

And much, much more. A one year membership is currently $47.95, a 40% discount from their regular price. This offer expires January 31, 2016. Click here to go to the fold3 website to get started.

Free weekend at Find My Past Starts Friday, January 22

Find my past announced that from 5am Friday, January 22nd until 5am (MST) Monday, January 25, their world records will be made available for free! If you currently have a subscription for Britain, Ireland, US & Canada, or Australia & New Zealand records, you will have the World records available to you. And if you have a World subscription, you will get three days added to your current subscription.

FindMyPast records that will be available to everyone during this free weekend are:

• Irish family history records
• Passenger lists for ships sailing to and from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.
• The PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)
• UK parish records from as early as 1538
• Historical newspapers from across the world
• UK military records

And much, much more.

For more information and to get started, visit http://www.findmypast.com/freeweekend.

Endogamy Genetic Genealogy Presentation

 

The SOUTHERN ARIZONA JEWISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY

                proudly presents

ISRAEL PIKHOLTZ

on

ENDOGAMY

GENETIC GENEALOGY - CHALLENGES FOR JEWISH RESEARCH

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

2:00 PM

CONGREGATION BET SHALOM, 3881 E. RIVER RD.

Free to SAJGS members,  $5.00 for guests, (applicable toward $36.00 membership).

COPIES OF HIS BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE, BOOK SIGNING TO FOLLOW.

        ENDOGAMY: One Family, One People
 (Ordering information available at www.endogamy-one-family.com)

A professional genealogist, Israel has been a featured speaker at the Israel Genealogical Society, the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies, JGS groups around the US as well   as at the South Suburban Historical and Genealogical Society of Chicago and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  He has written for the IGS quarterly,  Sharsheret Hadorot,  the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly,  Avotaynu,  The Galitzianer,  and other genealogy publications.
 

The Demise of Ancestry's Family Tree Maker Software

Ancestry's Senior VP of Product Management, Kendall Hulet, made a shocking announcement yesterday: "We've made the decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015." He went on to say: "Ancestry will continue to support current owners of Family Tree Maker at least through January 1, 2017. During this time, all features of the software, including TreeSync™, will continue to work, and Member Services will be available to assist with user questions." (Read the full announcement on the Ancestry blog post Ancestry to Retire Family Tree Maker Software.)

Family Tree Maker was the Golden Award Winner and ranked the #1 genealogy software program for 2016 by Top Ten Reviews. It has been one of the most popular software applications for genealogists for many years and its demise will be felt by many genealogists from beginners to advanced.



Legacy Family Tree and RootsMagic, the #2 and #4 ranked genealogy programs, respectively, each announced special pricing for FTM users wishing to switch and provided videos and guides on transitioning FTM databases into their programs. You can read the news articles at Legacy News, Update on the Family Tree Maker announcement, and the RootsMagic Blog, Family Tree Maker® users have a new home at RootsMagic; Upgrade offer with Free Book and Magic Guides.

In the meantime, members of the Pima County Genealogy Society that use Family Tree Maker will not be abandoned. The PCGS members only Family Tree Maker SIG will continue to meet from 10am to 12pm on the third Saturday through 2016, or for as long as the members wish to meet. Visit the PCGS Calendar on the Pima County Genealogy Society website for details. 

Family History Discovery Fair Schedule Available

The tentative class schedule for the Family History Discovery Fair on January 30, 2016 has been posted on the Tucson Family History Center's Wiki. The direct link to the schedule can be found here.
Six hour-long classes will run simultaneously from 8:30am to 3:15pm and one-on-one personal help will be available until 4:30pm.

The most popular classes from past years will be presented again, but there are 13 new classes being offered this year. The DNA class has been expanded from one class in 2015 to three classes in 2016.

They will post class descriptions over the next several weeks, as well as links to any handouts that you can print in advance of the Fair. Please check the wiki page periodically for those additions. Handouts will not be available at the event, please print them out and bring them with you.

Remember, this event is FREE and open to the public.