The Genealogy Tech Podcast

If you use Microsoft Windows as your operating system, you need to ensure that you run Windows Update as soon as possible.

Yesterday (4/10/2007), Microsoft released four software updates to address security issues in Windows; all four are classified as critical updates. This is in addition to a critical update released earlier this month addressing another critical security issue.

You can get the updates by going to http://update.microsoft.com. Keep in mind that you must use Internet Explorer to access the updates on this site. You may be prompted to install an ActiveX control (a small software program) when you first arrive at the site; ensure that it is signed by Microsoft then install it. You then have the option to select Express or Custom install; Express will get you the critical updates.

You can also keep up with the latest Microsoft updates by setting your computer up to receive them automatically.

To turn on the Windows “Automatic Updates” feature, click on Start –> Settings –> Control Panel –> Security Center. Change the Automatic Updates Setting to “On”. You can also help protect your system by making sure you are using the Firewall and the Virus Protection options in this section as well.

If you use the Automatic Update feature, you will see a yellow shield in the system tray (next to the clock) when there are updates available. To install the updates, simply click on the shield.

Don’t forget, you should also be using an antivirus software program on your system, make sure you keep this software up to date and run a full scan of your hard drive(s) on a weekly basis. If you don’t have anti-virus software get it immediately. There is free antivirus software included in the Google Pack, it can be downloaded from http://pack.google.com.

I recently received an e-mail from Nathan letting me know about a neat Web service that genealogists might find useful, called Backpack.

Backpack is basically a Web site where you can store notes and to-do lists free of charge. There are also paid upgrade options available that include the ability to add images and files, additional Web pages and calendar functions. I have used Backpack in the past and found it very useful.

Your free Backpack account includes the ability to create 5 Web pages where you can create lists and keep your research notes. You can take a Backpack tour and sign up for your free account at http://www.backpackit.com/tour.

The same company that created Backpack, 37 Signals, has also created an online contact management system called Highrise. A free Highrise account will allow you to maintain contact information, notes and even tasks for 250 people.

You can also get a paid subscription that allows you to add more contacts and some other options like Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connectivity. While it’s probably not the intent of the site, this could be a cool way to maintain information on your ancestors along with the options of creating to-do lists and research tasks.

Google has added two new applications to their (Win XP & Vista) Google Pack of software goodies. You now get Norton Security Scan software for antivirus protection, and Spyware Doctor (Starter Edition) in addition to:

• Google Earth
• Picasa
• Google Photo Screensaver
• Google Desktop
• Google Toolbar for IE and Firefox
• Adobe Reader
• Google Talk (optional)
• Real Player (optional)
• Skype (optional)
• Google Video Player (optional)
• GalleryPlayer HD Images (optional)

The cost of this complete package: $0

You can find the more information and download Google Pack from: http://pack.google.com

For all you dedicated Mac users, fret not, Google has a few goodies for you too:

• Google Notifier
• Google Toolbar
• Google Sketchup
• Picasa Web Album Uploader
• Google Earth
• Google Widgets (GMail & Search History)

You can find all the Google Mac downloads at http://www.google.com/mac.html

The problem with this is that he didn’t actually own the historical documents that he sold - he stole them from the National Archives.

Denning McTague, a hopefully former intern at the National Archives, allegedly stole about 165 Civil War documents - including the War Department’s announcement of President Lincoln’s death, and placed the items on the auction site eBay.

According to An Associated Press report on the incident, Mr. McTague has been able to help officials recover “most” of the items which included:

“…telegrams concerning troops’ weaponry, the Lincoln death announcement sent to soldiers, and a letter from famed Confederate cavalryman James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart, prosecutors said.”

Mr. McTague’s lawyer says his client plans to plead guilty to the charges.

Read the entire article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070319/ap_on_re_us/national_archives_theft

There’s an interesting opinion published in the New York Times regarding the (under) funding of the National Archives.

The piece, titled History Lessens, is written by David Khan, author of The Codebreakers; in it he asks:

“Why does this matter? Because the National Archives does more than display the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. From its astonishing riches emerge not only the records of one’s immigrant grandparents but the documents and images that produce books and telecasts about this country. Without the services of the archives, the nation risks amnesia and loses direction.”

You can find the complete article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/opinion/19kahn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I want to thank Lisa Cooke of the Genealogy Gems Podcast for mentioning the GTP on her show this week. For those of you who might have missed my previous post, Lisa is one of the newest genealogycasters (I think I am going to trademark the term) and she does an outstanding job of giving out research tricks and techniques that you may not have thought about.

Lisa was kind enough to point her listeners over to the GTP to learn more about Google Alerts. As Lisa mentioned on the show, you can listen to Episode 8, then check out the updated information I have posted at:
http://genealogytechpodcast.com/2007/02/14/more-on-google-alerts/

Great show Lisa - keep them coming!

For those folks in the U.S. and Canada the daylight savings change arrives early this year, in fact it happens this weekend. As a result of the early change many electronic devices may need to have their operating software updated.

Windows users should ensure they run Windows Update; Mac users should run Software Update to make sure your computer’s operating system is up to date. There is also an Airport Extreme wireless update available for Intel iMacs as of today.

You should also make sure any of your other devices are updated as well; check the manufacturer’s Web sites for information regarding your PDA’s; there is a BlackBerry patch available as well.

The Indiana Historical Society has put together a book titled Finding Indiana Ancestors: A Guide to Historical Research ($29.99 US). According to information on the society’s press site, this project started back in the year 2000 as a series of essays for their family history journal.

The essays were created by “contracting archivists, librarians, journalists, genealogists, and historians in the state’s major historical and genealogical organizations to write about their areas of expertise.”

Copies of the book may be ordered online or you can call 800-447-1830 for additional information.

For those of you who still aren’t convinced on how easy it is to publish information on the Web, there’s a Web site you might want to check out.

The Scribd Web describes itself as a “…big online library where anyone can upload” or, more or less, “a writing repository.” As Rick Broida of LifeHacker writes, it’s a “kind of a YouTube for eBooks”, or other types of documents including PowerPoint presentations, plain text files, PDF docs and more.

Once you upload a document the site generates a URL link that you can e-mail or post on a Web page. One of the features I like is that the site provides a text-to-speech .mp3 download of a document, this is a great accessibility option. Once you upload your document, it becomes on-line readable in their custom Flash player.

I still think think that wikis and blogs are the best way to share your research, but if you just aren’t comfortable with technology, Scribd is simply uploading a document you have already typed in your word processor.

The New England Archivists (NEA) will hold their Spring 2007 meeting on March 30th and 31st, at the Radisson Hotel in Chelmsford, MA.

One of the workshops held on Friday will be Introduction to Archives: Caring for Historical Records. According to their brochure this workshop is geared for those who:

“…are responsible for the care of historical records, or interested in developing an historical records collection, or need to respond to the accumulation of records…”

Sounds like every genealogist I know.

You can find out more about the NEA and the Spring 2007 meeting on their Web site at: http://www.newenglandarchivists.org/index.html