RootsTech 2024 Begins Feb. 29, Runs Thru Mar. 2; Virtual Expo Hall is Now Open

RootsTech 2024, the annual genealogy and technology conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and virtually worldwide, will open tomorrow, February 29, 2024 and run through March 2, 2024. Its virtual Expo Hall is now open.

Visit it to find all sorts of information on various vendors and a variety of sales and savings on a variety of products and services.

Register to attend live classes virtually for free and to access various recordings for the next year. Not that note all in-person sessions are recorded.

To register, just use your FamilySearch.org website free user account.

What can you find in the Expo Hall?

Sales on DNA -- especially what we call the "Grandfathered In" DNA Transfer Sale. Upload your autosomal DNA data from (AncestryDNA, 23andME, or FamilyTreeDNA) and get full access to all the DNA tools without having to pay the usual $29 unlock fee. This sale runs until March 4, 2024. See our February 27th post. 

There's a sale on AncestryDNA as well and 50% off subscription memberships for new or not currently active subscribers but this company's sales run Feb. 29 to Mar. 2, 2024.

FamilyTreeDNA has a variety of DNA tests on sale from Feb. 29 to Mar. 29, 2024. Even the autosomal unlock fee is on sale at $9 (reg. $19) for the autosomal transfer (which is free). See the FTDNA's virtual booth for the sale codes. 

Get a discount off a new subscription to DNA Painter. There is a 50 percent off discount on RootsMagic 9, and for Family Tree Maker there is a 60% off show special -- get FTM 2019 now and FTM 2024 when it is released. This pricing is good for those that have FTM 2017 or earlier OR even if you are a first time purchaser of FTM. Ancestral Quest has a promo discount code good until March 4, 2024.

Interested in Vivid-Pix software for photo editing? Visit the Vivid-Pix virtual booth and get 20% off. There is also some savings on Vivid-Pix education and the Vivid-Pix Memory Station.

Get discounts on memberships too. American Ancestors aka The New England Historic Genealogical Society -- for new and renewing members. There is a discount for new and renewing members of the New York Biographical and Genealogical Society too.

Have fun with RootsTech 2024 over the next few days.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

 

MyHeritageDNA "Grandfathered In Sale" Now Until Mar. 4, 2024; Upload for Free Get Advanced DNA Tools Free Forever

Just as we hoped for RootsTech ... MyHeritageDNA is running a fantastic promo until March 4, 2024.

Have you taken a DNA test at another testing site (i.e. AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, etc.)? If so, you can download your DNA data from that site and transfer/upload it to MyHeritageDNA.

Why? It gets your test(s) into another DNA pool to fish for matches -- you never know where someone has tested. See some other reasons listed further down below.

And Why Now? From today until March 4, when you upload your DNA test data to MyHeritageDNA you get the advanced features (normally $29 to unlock) for FREE FOREVER! Thus what many genealogists like to call the Grandfathered In Sale.

Haven't tested yet but would like to? MyHeritage is having a Global DNA Sale for autosomal DNA test kits which unfortunately ends today, February 27, 2024. The DNA test itself is regularly $89. This particular sale is offering a 30-Day Complete Free Trial to its website option also for the sale price of $39 plus taxes and shipping. If you already have a data subscription or just don't want the free trail, there is an option for just the test at the sale price.

But note that after the 30 days, the complete subscription will auto-renew unless you cancel the auto-renewal a couple days before the renewal date. For this initial renewal you will get 50% off ($149 instead of $299) the first year and additional years will be at the current regular price. You can cancel at any time.

The "Grandfathered In" Transfer Sale does not happen every year so when it happens catch it while you can. MyHeritage has guides to help you download your DNA data from whichever website you tested at originally. And, don't worry your original test stays on that original site.

MyHeritageDNA is becoming a "must be at" for its DNA tools. Its customer base is more international. MyHeritage has chromosome browser feature and made its internal member messaging feature free. It also offers an ethnicity/admixture report and a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features including its AutoCluster feature. A few additional features were added earlier last year and the year prior -- like an update to its ethnicity estimates and genetic groups including viewing the genetic groups of your match and seeing what you have in common.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

3-Day Sale FTM Double-Upgrade Sale: FTM2019 Now, FTM2024 When Released

For members and readers who use Family Tree Maker software.

Most FTM users know that announcements are made via Software MacKiev's FTM newsletter mailing list which due to its extremely large size is sent out in a staggered release. If you own a version of FTM or don't but are just interested, make sure you register to receive the upgrades updates email newsletter.

One of MCGG's emails is registered on that email newsletter as owning FTM2017. This afternoon that email received the latest FTM email newsletter announcing a Double Upgrade Sale. Upgrade to FTM2019 now for $29.95 and receive FTM2024 for free when it is released.

Yes, this is similar to the sale ran at the end of December/beginning of January. So if you missed that one, you have a few days to decide on this one.

But remember! If you just upgraded to FTM2019 at the very end of 2023/beginning of 2024 you already get the next new version that comes out in the next two years. So, you are good to go but you can check out the other items in the FTM store, some of which are on sale too. (Just be sure to double-check/remove the app purchase from your cart since you already have it. Some items have the same sale price but some don't through the main FTM Store Gift Collection.)

Currently, FTM2019 is the only version that can sync a FTM tree file with an Ancestry member online tree. A fix was said to be in the works for Family Tree Maker 2017 to sync again also but it has not happened yet and that software is 6/7 years old. We've no news if this is still the plan or not. With FTM2019 being 4/5 years old we guessed in one of our prior posts (just us guessing) that a new version may be in the works considering the brand will be celebrating 35 years in 2024.

See our prior post on the 3-day sale for FTM2019 owners on some of the new features described by that FTM email newsletter.

With this FTM email newsletter, Software MacKiev made sure to convey there are dozens of more features, large and small. Such as support for hyphenated dual surname support. "And there's extensive work "under the hood." Work that makes this by far the fastest and most stable Family Tree Maker ever built. One that can handle BIG trees. Really big. Hundreds of thousands of people big. And even if your tree isn't absolutely gigantic, you're going to feel the difference."

The Turn Back Time® feature introduced in FTM2019 will expand from 1,000 to 5,000 changes ago. Again, Tree Vault® Cloud Services will be a one year free trial and besides acting as up to the minute backup of your main tree, it will be the hub for several collaborative features mentioned in our prior post.

See the Easy on the Eyes™ feature in action using the link to this sale's store front above. Just click on the green Easy on the Eyes™ link below the Double Upgrade pricing chart on that page.

FamilySearch Integration 2.0 will allow you to download an entire branch from a FamilySearch tree into Family Tree Maker and get hints linked to more than SIX BILLION online FamilySearch historical records. A unique new source of records for Family Tree Maker users – for free.

Software MacKiev also updated its Comparison Table to include FTM2024. There is still no information released on the minimum system requirements for either the Windows or Mac version of FTM2024. When we spot it we will let you know.

The FTM Facebook page has not received any updates/changes since August 2022 so there is no new news from that platform. With the demise of the Ancestry Message Board for FTM (Windows) there is a void in community helping community. While there is a Facebook Family Tree Maker User Group it is a closed group so non-Facebook users can not access it or even view it.

The company does not seem to be on other social media so use caution there. Remember, Software MacKiev Family Tree Maker only has LiveChat for customer support not a phone number. If you  do a internet search and find a phone number, you do not have the official customer support for Family Tree Maker. It is someone posing/scamming people.

The new collaboration features or other tools may not sway everyone to pre-order FTM2024. But consider this, the two latest versions of FTM will be five and seven years old this year. As new upgrades are released, less likely are updates to the older software versions. Why pay twice as much later (regular price $79.95) when you can pay less now? You don't have actually upgrade your tree files right away, but can have the program (save the email, receipt and download the installation file and save to safe place) on hand when you need or decide to do it.

Computers and their operating systems are being built to last five years or so with updates. But eventually hardware limitations eventually negate updating. Gone are the days of safely running old software on old computers unless you never take that computer on the internet. But if you are running that way, will you be able to even transfer your very important files to someone with a more modern computer?

See you at our favorite library.
LE

FTM2019 Owners: 3-Day Pre-Order Sale for Upgrade to Family Tree Maker 2024

For members and readers who use Family Tree Maker software.

This past weekend genealogists who follow some genealogists on various socials like Twitter (yes, X) and various blogs may have been scratching theirs heads and checking their email spam folders wondering why didn't I get notified. A few of these social genealogists had mentions of a pre-order sale for Family Tree Maker 2024. But most FTM users know that such announcements are made via Software MacKiev's FTM newsletter mailing list which due to its extremely large size is sent out in a staggered release.

Rest easy if you didn't get that newsletter email version, the prior announcement was likely real but targeted towards FTM users on the email newsletter who are either registered as owning prior/older versions of FTM or as not owning FTM. Thus, the only okay pre-order price of $49.95 seen in those mentions.

For owners of Family Tree Maker 2019, the FTM newsletter email has gone out. (LE received it today. If you have not received yours, don't worry it is likely still going out in batches.) For the next three days, there is pre-order pricing for owners of FTM2019 of just $29.95 for Family Tree Maker 2024 when it is released. We are guessing this sale runs from today, Wed., Feb. 14, through Fri., Feb. 16. But it may be staggered based on when the newsletter is received. This $29.95 pricing is for the download only version.

LE Note: This pricing is similar to the first pre-order pricing offer when FTM2017 was upgraded to FTM2019 years ago, later pre-order offers were not as good.

But remember! If you just upgraded to FTM2019 at the very end of 2023/beginning of 2024 you already get the next new version that comes out in the next two years. So, you can ignore the pre-order of this next version (because you get it free) but you can check out the other items in the FTM store, some of which are on sale too. (Just be sure to double-check/remove the app purchase from your cart since you already have it. Some items have the same sale price but some don't through the main FTM Store Gift Collection.)

Currently, FTM2019 is the only version that can sync a FTM tree file with an Ancestry member online tree. A fix was said to be in the works for Family Tree Maker 2017 to sync again also but it has not happened yet and that software is 6/7 years old. We've no news if this is still the plan or not. With FTM2019 being 4/5 years old we guessed in one of our prior posts (just us guessing) that a new version may be in the works considering the brand will be celebrating 35 years in 2024.

This FTM2024 version will add a Collaborate workspace that works with the FTM Connect mobile app for Apple and Android. Your relative/collaborators can add a Relative Hint™ sticky note to the tree. This feature utilizes the TreeVault® option of FTM. Guest Access will be added to FTM Connect also via TreeVault®.

AlbumWALK® is a free mobile app for IOS and Android devices that allows anyone to record memories and embed them in a photo with its tap-talk technology to create interactive talking photos. Tap the next and talk and so on. And when you're finished, AlbumWALK creates a mini-documentary with professionally scored background music that can be played back in the media center of FTM 2024. To move album files to your tree, AlbumWALK relies on TreeVault, which on the way to your media collection, also puts an up-to-the-minute backup of all your AlbumWALK photos and albums in the TreeVault cloud. Once in Family Tree Maker, the talking picture files can be viewed in a built-in AlbumWALK player.

Another new feature is Easy on the Eyes.™ One of the most frequent requests Software MacKiev got is "Can't you do something for my poor tired eyes?" Well, Easy on the Eyes does just one thing. It enlarges areas of the People workspace while you are working in them and then puts them back to normal size.

FTM2024 will expand the tools on hand to rescue old family photos with the Photo Darkroom. They include cropping and a range of new repair tools that will help remove dust and scratches. And, as with the first set of Photo Darkroom tools, the original photograph is always saved unchanged.

Also, new in FTM2024 is a Resource Center. Software MacKiev says, "Resources of all kinds to help you with your research. Connect with a professional to take your research to the next level, or a mentor to help you get started. Find the nearest Family Tree Maker user group, or get everything you need to start one. Check out our tour calendar for visiting societies, or request we swing by the next time we're in your part of the world. Sign up for free webinars. And, oh yes, get discounts we've been busy negotiating for you."

In addition, the Co-Pilot program started with FTM2017 has been expanded for FTM2024 to continue to help new users get off to a good start. According to MacKiev, it is "greatly expanded to include the growing number of mobile apps that now make up the Family Tree Maker ecosystem. Here's how it works. Two days after your first launch of FTM 2024, we'll offer a brief diagnostic test that can tell us if you've had a great flight, or if there are some things we can start to address with you right away. You'll be offered help if you want it with getting TreeVault set up. With making your first Connect Workspace mailing to relatives. And with creating your first AlbumWALK page. It's free, fast and completely optional."

No information was released on the minimum system requirements for either the Windows or Mac version of FTM2024. When we spot it we will let you know.

The new collaboration features or other tools may not sway everyone to pre-order FTM2024. But consider this, the two latest versions of FTM will be five and seven years old this year. As new upgrades are released, less likely are updates to the older software versions. Why pay twice as much later when you can pay less now? You don't have actually upgrade your tree files right away, but have it on hand when you need or decide to do it.

Computers and their operating systems are being built to last five years or so with updates. But eventually hardware limitations eventually negate updating. Gone are the days of safely running old software on old computers unless you never take that computer on the internet. But if you are running that way, can you even transfer your very important files to someone with a more modern computer?

See you at our favorite library.
LE

MCGG March Meetings ... Join Us!

Here are our meetings for March 2024.

MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid) Friday, March 8, 2024, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium B/C of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Why Should I Join a Genealogy/Historical Society?  MCGG Member Discussion Panel.

Member/Long-time genealogists on our panel will discuss the topic.

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Organizing Our Genealogy Stuff.

Let's share and compare how we organize our stuff.

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MCGG has TWO Meetings This Week!

MCGG has two great programs this week. We hope you will attend in-person or virtually. Both MCGG members and non-members are welcome at our meetings. We try to provide a wide variety of topics of interest for our attendees. Even if you don't think a topic applies to your genealogy, most genealogists realize that tips, methodology, ideas and sources learned can often be applied to anyone's genealogy. For example, it is why good genealogists read all those journal articles on families who are not theirs but may live in about the same area -- the details found in those footnotes.

So Join Us!

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) this Wednesday, February 7*, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. *We are meeting the 1st Wednesday this month because Valentine's Day falls on our usually meeting date of the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Our topic is ... Set a Genealogy Goal.

Goals are not just for the new year. We will share about setting them, how they have helped us and what might be our goals this year.

MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid) this Friday, February 9, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium B/C of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... 10 Million Names presented by Cynthia Evans, 10 Million Names Research Director.

10 Million Names, is a new initiative at American Ancestors dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated ten million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865. The collaborative project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.

The presentation will inform attendees about this project.

For this February 9 meeting, we are asking virtual attendees to register in advance so we have a better idea of interest and a way to provide any handout materials. You can do so here with this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. In-person attendees do not need to pre-register.

 

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for the Friday meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE