by Lisa Cooke | Aug 31, 2011 | Mobile
We are happy to announce that you can now download Genealogy Gems podcast episodes on your BlackBerry!
Today Research In Motion (RIM) launched BlackBerry Podcasts, a free application and service that allows BlackBerry smartphone users to gain access to free audio and video content that can be downloaded and then enjoyed on a BlackBerry media player.
In a press release, Alistair Mitchell, Vice President, Multimedia Integration said that “The new BlackBerry Podcasts app and service makes it easier than ever to discover and download a wide range of content directly from a BlackBerry smartphone, and users can even subscribe to their favorite podcasts and receive an alert when new content is available.”
We are excited that the Genealogy Gems Podcast is among the first 1000 shows available through this service.
To get the free app for your BlackBerry, go to www.blackberry.com/appworld You will need a BlackBerry smartphone running BlackBerry OS v4.6 or higher.
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 31, 2011 | Inspiration, Photographs
Blacks and bays, dapples and greys
Running in the night
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Are there any pretty little ponies in your family tree photos?
That’s what my friend genealogy blogger Ian Hadden asked in a recent post called Riding Ponies. He starts us off my sharing a pic of baby Ian riding high on a pony and then goes further back in his tree to a photo of his father doing the same.
Roaming photographers snapped pony pictures in towns across the land. Ian’s photos reminded me of photos in my own collection and I quickly retrieved some favorites of my grandfather, Al…
Genealogy Gems Premium Members and those who’ve picked up a copy of the Google Earth for Genealogy DVD will recognize this street as 288 Connecticut, in San Francisco. The location was unknown to my family for many decades, but through the intersection of census records, voters registrations, and Google Earth the mystery was solved and the location identified
The year was 1908, and San Francisco was still recovering from the great earthquake of ’06. That’s Al’s father Charles Allen standing on the sidewalk (the man on the right) keeping an eye on his little buckaroo. (A bit of trivia: Charles is the son of the man in the Genealogy Gems Podcast logo.) The difference between Al’s pony and Ian’s is that this pony was stuffed! However, Al did eventually make his way on to the real thing…
Do you have a pretty little pony picture in your collection?
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 31, 2011 | Mobile
Hello readers, I’m Vienna Thomas from the Genealogy Gems team, and I have an exciting announcement to share. The iBooks store has just released Lisa’s book Genealogy Gems for the iPad, available for purchase for only $9.99!
We are really excited to be able to participate at such an early stage in this new technology that has already sold over one million devices across the country. So if you are a lucky owner of the iPad, be sure to download your copy of Genealogy Gems today!
I also want to remind everyone that the Genealogy Gems Podcast App is available for purchase in the iTunes store. This app brings the Genealogy Gems Podcast to your iPhone or iTouch, and gives you access to great bonus material. Go to the iTunes store and search “Genealogy Gems,” or click on the link here.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-genealogy-gems-podcast/id337736531?mt=8
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 31, 2011 | Research Skills
In A Scandal in Bohemia, private investigator extraordinaire Sherlock Holmes brings to our attention that our skills of observation can always be improved upon.
Whether reviewing a fragile marriage certificate or taking in a tin type, heightened skills of observation can benefit the genealogist. And that is just one detective method that can and should be employed.
In the newest issue of Family Tree Magazine (July 2010) which hits news stands today, I share my Top 10 Detective Strategies for finding living relatives who may just hold the answers to some of your family history mysteries.
Thinking like a P.I. means thinking outside the box – the Internet search box that is. When it comes to estranged relatives, unknown distant cousins or folks you’ve just lost track we track down the leads that go well beyond Google.
Here’s an excerpt from the article that will get you started called Phone Tapping. You can get the entire article by visiting the Shop Family Tree website.
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 31, 2011 | Google
One of the Google’s many resources is Google Books, which allows you to browse through books and magazines of almost any topic imaginable. (Have you checked out Ancestry magazine back issues at Google Books?) But if you’ve been having trouble using the site, want more information, or want to connect with other users, the new Google Books Help Forum is now up and running!
The forum allows you to get answers directly from a team of forum guides as well as other users who may know what you are looking for. You can post your question directly in a new discussion, or you can browse other posed discussion questions. When the forum team has answered it, the discussion will have “Answered” written in green below the link.
You can also sort the list of questions by recent activity, date asked, and popularity. Or you can choose to look at questions that have been answered or unanswered. In addition, Google Books Help Forum has a blog, which you can find a link to on the left side of the forum page. This is a wonderful way for new users or even the most experienced users to get help with any aspect of using Google Books. Good luck finding those genealogy gems!
