Presentation by Michael Helmantoler at the Family History Expo in St. George Utah. February 24, 2012. Presents the top 10 Genealogy apps researched by GeneaDroid.
2. Access, update, & share data during field research
Replaces laptop in libraries & camera in cemeteries
Thousands of apps for Android phones & tablets
Enable database updates on field research trips
Synchronize with data on desktop PCs at home
Document cemetery headstones and fragile books
Findings are available to fellow researchers for
instant collaboration and advice
3. Apps – software that performs a user function
Android – Google’s free operating system
Cloud computing – programs & data on web
Field Research – away from your desktop PC
GPS – Satellite service that shows our location
Smartphone – cell phone with internet plan
Tablet – a 7” or 10” touch screen computer
Research calendar – list to look for in field
Research log – list of what was found
4. Cloud computing is storing data on an internet site
Reading email attachments is cloud-computing
Dropbox.com on a mobile device, desktop & on web
Verizon Motorola DROID Android smartphone
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7” screen & netbook keyboard
Some tablet devices are WiFi only
Rural research locations = full coverage mobile plan
$20 per month data plan or an unlimited data plan
Use phone for GPS navigation and inbound phone calls
5. 1. Less expensive than the iPxd devices.
2. Dozen vendor choices for hardware configurations
3. Open Source operating system software
4. Google services like translate, chat and email
5. Market has 700,000 free mobile applications
6. Personalization of home screens widgets & tools
7. Access to Adobe Flash enabled websites.
8. One place for Bluetooth, WiFi, Network and GPS
9. Quick PC connection to SD card to drag & drop files
10. Notifications of updates, messages in easy-to-find place
6. August 2010 -Windows laptop & Android smartphone
The laptop was unwieldy in the passenger seat of the SUV
Smartphone navigation and location searching was invaluable
March 2011 -Netbook PC & Smartphone
Genealogy database and research planners
Smartphone note taking apps and web searching
April 2011 – tablet with Families and Legacy database
Relied on data in Dropbox application
Tablet performed admirably as a laptop replacement.
July 2011 - Tablet and smartphone
Location services to find libraries and historical societies
Coverage in over 30 counties in the states of WY, NE, MO, IL,
KY, TN, VA, MD, DC, and PA.
7. Reviewing family group sheets from the car
passenger seat as you approach new locations
Record, review & communicate research results to
your collaborators or advisors
Maps to choose historic routes ancestors used from
one location to another
Find old churches, schools & stores just off the
road that provide historical context
Follow Legacy Family Tree location reports
Research calendar questions for local folk
List of records needed by location
8. Discover new clues & alternate locations
Use Internet to check the Family History Library catalog
What records are available for in that location
Cut & paste text from browser into research
calendar.
Voice recorder to take notes in the library stacks
Built in 5 mpx camera for microfilm reader images
If copier is down use scanner application
Voice command to Google navigation for detailed
driving directions.
9. We used the built in camera to capture images in
books, manuscripts, and on microfilm.
Google Maps & Navigation w/verbal driving
directions
Access DropBox for research notes on computer at
home
Checking dates, places, & names in a family group
sheet
Use genealogy app to view pedigree charts for
relationships
Viewing chronology reports to check event locations.
Camera to capture images of books, manuscripts, &
microfilm images
Updating research calendars and research logs
10. Locations were provided by “Families”
application which provided access to our
Legacy Family Tree database to check
dates, places and names in family group sheets,
pedigree charts
timeline displays.
11. Ancestry by Ancestry.com
BillionGraves by AppTime
Catch by Catch.com
Evernote by Evernote
FamilySeek by TreeSeek
FamilySearch Indexing by FamilySearch
Families by Telgen
FindGrave(beta) by jkworth
Genedroid by Mobiwolf
My Heritage by MyHeritage.com
12. Ancestry by Ancestry.com
BillionGraves by AppTime
Catch by Catch.com
Evernote by Evernote.com
FamilySeek by TreeSeek
FamilySearch Indexing by FamilySearch
Families by Telgen
FindGrave(beta) by jkworth
Genedroid by Mobiwolf
My Heritage by MyHeritage.com
13. * Display your family tree
* Start a new family tree
* Zoom in and out on family tree
* View details for individuals
* Add, edit and delete people
* Add, edit & delete events &facts
*Add location info using GPS
* Search for people in your family
tree
* View historical docs & indexed
information
14.
15.
16. for tombstone
projects, used this to
get my tombstones
transcribed
18. a research log that lets
you instantly share
your research
“stream” consisting of
notes that have HTML
tags whether they are
text, voice or images
19. Streams to share or
keep private
Multimedia next to
text
20. is a web clipping tool
which captures in
your own files articles
that you find on the
internet. You can also
use it as a research log
but you cannot see
landscape pages such
as census record
transcriptions.
21. shows relationships
between any two
individuals on your
shared tree on
FamilySearch.org.
Shows relationships
between your
ancestors and a list of
famous people
22. just released at
rootsTech. Serves
snippets of original
record images so that
volunteers can
transcribe the
handwritten names to
readable type
24. Uses Legacy Family
Tree data on an
Android device
Families Sync, can be
downloaded free of
charge from
Pictures, including
adding photos from
camera or photo album
Portrait and landscape
mode on all views
25. History
Guide
Statistics
Zoom in view of
snippit
26. Detailed citations
Source notes
Relationships, events,
and to-do lists
Master & detail
sources
Locations &
addresses, w/geo-
location using Google
Maps
27. View by decendants
Access to multiple
family files
Create new family files
Views of family
group, pedigree, descen
dant and timeline
Index, searchable by
Given
Name, Surname, or RIN
28. provides search and
upload access to the
FindAGrave database
29. access your on-line
family tree stored on
Geni.com
31. Global application
Desktop version
Paid website account
32. a huge program and
runs slowly on a
single processor
phone
33. Dropbox.com collaborative family history
Stores digital copies of source documents
Distributing a Legacy Family Tree database
Keeps files accessible on all devices
Backup copy of data on your desktop PC
Backupmytree.com is not a mobile app
Free site for backing up your
PAF, RootsMagic, Legacy, GEDCOM etc. files to the
cloud
Backs them up anytime you change the file
34. Get your our genealogy and family history
research data into the cloud
Treat yourself to a new large screen
smartphone or WiFi tablet device
Learn to work from multiple devices on the
same project
Spend your spare time waiting for the doctor
by doing FamilySearch indexing on your
Android device.
Don’t leave home with-out it
35. The Education Wins (Edwin) Foundation
Epesitec, called “Tablastic Four” [Tab4]
We are called “GeneaDroids”
Sign up & commit to only use the CherryPad
Edwin tablet computer for the next 90 days
No cell phone, laptop or desktop computer.
Just a fully loaded Android 2.3 tablet computer with full
phone features, mini-keyboard and bluetooth earbuds.
One device for everything, pedigree charts,
indexing, research logs, Internet browsing,
emails, youtubing, facebooking, photos, phone
calls, that’s it
36. Contact Michael Helmantoler at
GeneaDroid@gmail.com or these other sites:
RootsTech 2012
SkillPages.com
FamilySearch TechTips
WordPress Blog
Genlighten Lookup Services