I’m excited to talk about innovation again as a RootsTech ambassador! This article is about some of my favorite innovations that I learned about at RootsTech and also about the changes coming for RootsTech 2018. With the announcement from RootsTech that they are moving away from the Innovator Showdown to the all new “Innovator Showcase” at the 2018 conference, I’ve been thinking about my favorite family history innovations that I learned about at RootsTech. Here’s my list: JRNL – I learned about JRNL at RootsTech 2016. Their online platform for keeping a journal is just what I needed to keep...
Family Tree Prints is a new service that helps you create custom family tree charts for you to download and print in ten minutes. Jane from Family Tree Prints reached out to me and asked me to try creating a complimentary chart in order to share my experience. I was impressed! There are many features that allow you to customize your chart. I have been frustrated in the past with the way charts turn out when printed from genealogy software programs, so I know there is a real need for this service. I asked my four-year-old daughter if she wanted...
At RootsTech in February, a reader pointed us to a new app for finding family names for the temple. It’s called “Take A Name” by Kinpoint. I tried it out, and it’s pretty great! Within about 15 minutes, the app scanned my tree and found 70 names and 174 ordinances. It also told me how I was related to each person, which I really like. I know many people who want to take their family member’s names to the temple, but are overwhelmed by using FamilySearch to search for people. This app is a great way for the beginner...
Today Diana presented at the BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference about Mind Mapping. Here is a link to view her presentation on google slides: Look at Your Family in a Whole New Way: With a Mind Map Questions from the class: Can you use Google’s MindMup 2.0 with an iPad? I’m not sure. I couldn’t find any mobile apps for MindMup, and their tagline is “free online mind mapping,” so that makes me think that it works on web browsers. Please share in the comments if you are able to use www.MindMup.com with your iOS web browser. Can I...
“Which of the judging criteria was most important to you during the judging process?” Alan Doane, John Richards, Kenyatta Berry, myself, Thomas MacEntee I was sitting down with the judges after the RootsTech 2017 Innovator Showdown Finals, feeling pretty lucky to be surrounded by such experienced, knowledgeable people. “Business viability.” “Innovative technology.” “Pitch.” And then an answer I wasn’t expecting… “Impact.” Dalton Wright, a partner at Kickstart Seed Fund, said that while he was looking for business viability, he was also looking for an idea that would have an impact. Dalton Wright sharing thoughts about impact Wright’s own past ventures include...
It’s time to think about what you want to bring with you to RootsTech. With only two weeks left, you’ll want to download the RootsTech app, choose your classes, download the syllabi, and decide how you’re going to take notes. Here are some suggestions to help you do this (and otherwise enjoy the conference)! This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. Thanks for the support! 8 Tech Tools to Bring to RootsTech Taking notes with the RootsTech App on my Samsung 7″ tablet 1. Tablet/iPad or Lightweight...
BeFunky.com is a photo editing website you can use to create coloring pages out of old family photos. The web tool is free for general photo editing but the “sketcher” filters which you apply to make coloring pages, are available in the plus version only. BeFunky Plus costs $4.95 per month or less if you pay annually. The BeFunky Mobile app, however, is free! BeFunky Website Go to BeFunky.com and click on the photo editor. Add your photo then select the “artsy” category on the left toolbar. In the example below, I used the sketcher 2 filter. The photo I used...
Do you have a letter collection or ancestor journal that you’d like to transcribe, but the task seems overwhelming? I previously shared my friend Karen’s experience with inheriting over sixty family letters from 1828 to 1921. She learned how to archive the letters and developed a great system for enlisting the help of other family members in transcribing them. Today, with her permission, I’m sharing the steps she took. How to Set up a Family Letter Transcription Project Preservation Karen and her sister first took the letters to the Special Collections Department at Brigham Young University. The staff instructed her on...
The RootsTech 2017 Innovator Showdown received 41 submissions. Innovators from all industries were encouraged to submit their family history related ideas for unique hardware, software apps, or services in the contest. I eagerly looked at all of the submissions. Here are the ones that stood out: Fun/Games Cuzins – see how you’re related to friends and celebrities and how celebrities are related to each other Little Family Tree Little Family Tree – This app was submitted last year but has new games, including water coloring pages created from family photos. My 3-year-old daughter enjoys this game and I love seeing her interact with the photos of...
When registering for RootsTech last year, I tried to find more information about Innovator Summit to know if it was for me. After finding only one blog post about it, I decided that my interest in entrepreneurship and technology was reason enough to attend. I have always admired friends and family members who start their own businesses. I respect their courage, inspirational work ethic, and determination. I love to watch ABC’s Shark Tank and learn about people who put their all into a business often started in their garage. Looking for the RootsTech Pass Giveaway Contest instructions? Scroll to the bottom of...
