Headsets and Genealogy

I know it might seem a little strange to write about headsets but interestingly enough headsets demonstrate the progress (at least technologically) that we've made in genealogy.

I bought my first headset (Lifechat LX 3000) just before participating in my second webinar. That was back in January 2011 when Geoff Rasmussen pulled together a Rountable on virtual presentations for the first RootsTech conference. I was one of the virtual presenters.

It's funny to think that just that short time ago webinars were fairly new, not many presenters were giving them and the audience was still trying to figure out what they were. Over the next year to year and a half using headsets became standard protocol for presenters.

I would never have bought a headset if it hadn't been for the need to present webinars. I didn't use a headset in any capacity for work- or pleasure-related computer use. I didn't have a smart phone at that time so I didn't have any need to listen to anything from that source.

I'm sure some less backward people than I were using headsets but somehow it really didn't come up in conversation.

Now fast forward to November 2012 and we can see a real transformation in headset use. Not only are webinar presenters using headsets but so is the webinar audience.  Geoff Rasmussen often asks his Legacy Webinar audiences to check in before the start of the presentation. Members of the audience come on for a minute, provide their name and location and chat for a bit with Geoff. It's a fun way to put a face (or at least a voice) to an otherwise invisible audience.

Dear Myrtle is taking audience participation even further. In October of this year Dear Myrtle started a weekly series called Mondays with Myrt (you can see the calendar of upcoming shows or listen to archived copies of Mondays with Myrt). The program is run every Monday at 12 noon EST (9am PST).  Dear Myrtle is looking for more from her audience that just a quick check in. She is seeking active voice participation from her audience.  At any point during the show she could ask for live feedback from the audience.

Why Use a Headset?

Headsets allow users communicate by voice in a very clear sounding way. The headset microphone provides much better quality than the normal built-in microphone on your computer. This is essential for communicating by voice across the internet.

This is the wave of the future! This is also driving more genealogists beyond presenters to buy headsets.  The Lifechat headset mentioned above costs just $25. That's a a fairly affordable price point for most people.  But it still doesn't account for nerves. Some people still might be too shy to talk online in front of an audience. More and more people, however, seem to be becoming comfortable with it.

Genealogists are also using headsets to have Skype conversations (both audio and video) to conduct family history interviews, to work on joint research or to contact people back in the old country.

And what about me? Not only am I using my headset for webinars but I am also listening to podcasts and watching videos. The world has opened up for me and I am now embracing these new forms of media. Not a day goes by where I don't put the headset on to listen to something on the internet.

I even have two pairs of headsets now.  The Lifechat LX 3000 which has two ear pieces I now use mostly for pleasure listening. I've bought the Lifechat LX 4000 which has just a single ear piece for doing webinars and the Fieldstone Common radio show. That way I can hear myself talk.

What about you? Where do you stand in the headset spectrum? Do you own a headset? Do you use it for Skype, listening to webinars or participating in webinars? Or do you have a completely different use for it that I don't know about yet?  I would love to hear what you think of the headset evolution in genealogy.

Captivated by Technology

A re-creation of the communications room
on the Titanic. Decidedly old technology!

Yesterday I spent the day with my children at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. Yes, we saw beluga whales, touched the sting rays in the sting ray tank and tried to pick up crabs. It was lots of fun.  But what really got me excited was the Titanic Exhibit.

I will admit that I had an early adoration for Jacques Cousteau. In recent years he has been supplanted by Bob Ballard.  There's just something magical about ocean exploration. Pretty ironic for a girl who avoids sea-going vessels at all costs!  Regardless, the Titanic Exhibit, which focused on the discovery of the sunken ship, satisfied my love and curiosity for all things related to the ocean.

But the thing that really got me about this exhibit was a computerized technology display like nothing I had ever seen before.  There were what looked like two boxes, sized perhaps two feet by three feet. The top of "the box" was a computer touch screen.

When the touch screen is activated, users can tap, drag and use special mice (they're not really mice) to interact with the screen. You can touch photos to open a directory then you can view the many photos, videos or other objects inside the directory or folder. Then you can pull out one of the photos and spin it, enlarge it to any size you like, including full screen.  Multiple people can interact with the touch screen at the same time.  The only thing I can compare it to is the technology I have seen on CSI/NCIS shows or CNN during elections. But I never really knew whether it was science fiction or not. Apparently it is real!

I asked the docent about the technology and he said it was built on Microsoft Surface. The possibilities of this kind of technology sent my mind spinning.

Let me give you three specific examples from the exhibit:

1) Trivia Quiz

This was one of the directory options on the main screen.  When this option was selected a quiz came up. Up to four players could place their "mice" (these are round objects with an empty center) on the screen. The quiz would start by presenting cards with the questions for the contestants. Each person had individual version of the same cards. The cards could be enlarged by dragging, moved or otherwise controlled by each player. All the players had a limited time to answer the question which was answered by selecting an area activated on the screen around the mouse. Points were awarded based on how quickly you answered and the computer kept track of everything. Lots of colors highlighted wrong answers, right answers and the ultimate winner. Very fun, very interactive.

2) Artifact Search

When this folder was selected a photo of the bottom of the ocean floor appeared across the whole screen. The four participants (there were only four mice) used their mice to scan the screen until they "found" an artifact.  They then had to capture the artifact after which a photo was generated and collected on the top of the screen. The photo could be enlarged or otherwise moved around.  It was a fun game for multiple players that involved competition (finding the artifacts) and an educational component (learning about the artifacts).

3) Document Library

Another folder contained documents and items related to Bob Ballard personally and his journey to find the Titanic. (Did you know that the Ballard's Titanic expedition was really a cover so that he could go in and search for two missing submarines for the U.S. Navy?!! I didn't!) In this folder you could view actual documents from the expedition, opening multiple documents and enlarging them on the screen.

I was so excited by the potential of using this technology. The interactivity was incredible.  The possibilities for engaging individuals, sharing new information and linking all types of media was mind boggling.

Adapting to History and Genealogy

While interacting with these touch tables I could immediately see how it could be adapted to presentations about genealogy and history. Imagine going to a computer table or wall (like on tv) and being able to delve into one topic, let's say western migration out of New England. With the touch of your fingers your could access documents, videos, maps, census records, etc. You could arrange it all together visibly on one screen and see how they interconnect and also follow the breadcrumb trail more easily.  With the touch of your finger you can pull up exactly the items you want to view.  Imagine the games and quizzes that could engage the viewers!

This is reminiscent to me of the discussions at the 2012 RootsTech about linking genealogical records in the future. Perhaps they weren't talking about Microsoft Surface technology specifically but it's all headed in the same direction.

This technology truly is the wave of the future. I can't wait for it to become more mainstream.  I'll be waiting and watching and tracking it's implementation.

Enhance Your Genealogy by Uploading Custom GPS Coordinates

Today I'm featuring a post by guest blogger, Ed. Ed recently left a comment on one of my blog posts where he described how he uploaded custom coordinates to his GPS.  I was fascinated by the concept but knew nothing about how to go about it. Ed is going to share not only how beneficial using gps coordinates are to genealogical research but also specifically how to upload the information to a gps.

A few years ago I was preparing for a trip to visit three generations of my ancestors, the Smith family, in their family cemetery which I had never visited before in eastern Iowa. From descriptions I found online, it was described as being in the middle of a field a quarter mile from the nearest road, not visible from there and in general very hard to find. However, with today’s modern technology that is widely available, I found it easily on my first try.

The first and hardest part is to find the place you want to find using Google Earth which is a free program you can download from the internet. Once you have found your target, in my case Smith Cemetery, add a ‘placemark’ by clicking the pushpin icon on the toolbar at the top of the screen and placing it over your target. Google Earth will give you a chance to name your placemark and more importantly, will give you the GPS coordinates.

My GPS device requires any coordinates input into it to be in decimal format (instead of degrees, minutes, seconds) so depending on your GPS device, you may have to change the settings in Google Earth to have it output the coordinates in the same format. In my case since I needed decimal format so I clicked on Tools, Options and choose that option on the 3D View tab as shown below.

Once I had the coordinates, all I had to do was input those into my GPS device, tell it to go there and followed the directions. That worked great but I often found myself visiting areas of the country for reasons other than my interest in genealogy, which also happened to be an area where my ancestors lived. But due to my lack of foresight, I didn’t have the GPS coordinates with me. I started looking for ways to keep that information with me right on my GPS unit.

Customizing Your GPS

My GPS is a Garmin and has a Points of Interest or POI Loader that you can download for free from their website. This program allows you to upload your own custom files onto your portable GPS device and access them through the touch screen interface. All you need beside the POI Loader is a spreadsheet program like Excel and the USB cable that came with your GPS unit.

In an Excel spreadsheet, enter the longitude in the first column, the latitude in the second column and the text you want to appear on your Garmin screen inside quotes in the third column. You can enter multiple locations by simply adding new information on new rows. For example, I have the locations of all my ancestor’s gravesites within one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet for homesteads and a third for other genealogy related sites that I might want to visit someday in the future. Once you have all the information entered, save your file to your computer using the Save As command and selecting Comma delimited or CSV format. The Garmin POI Loader website has numerous examples of how to create these spreadsheets and load them onto your Garmin GPS.

Once you’ve uploaded the file or files to your GPS device using the POI Loader software, your file name will then become an item under Custom POIs on your Garmin GPS that once selected, will list all your targets along with the usual direction and miles it is from your current location. Select the one you want and away you go.

Another advantage to getting familiar with using GPS coordinates is that it is a very easy way to give ‘directions’ to other tech savvy people to locate a gravesite of an ancestor for example. So many times I can find the cemetery and know my relative is buried in block C, row 3, 4th plot from the left and without a map, still spend hours walking around looking for their grave. Once I have located the grave, I write down the coordinates of the headstone, update the data on my CSV file and reload it on my GPS device when I get back home. Then if someone wants the information, I can give them the coordinates and by following their GPS, the can get within a couple feet of the desired target saving them a lot of searching and allowing them more time to visit. The possibilities for using this system are endless.

Ed is an amateur genealogist who was inspired to know more about his ancestors as a child after seeing someone else's family tree but only started actively researching about five years ago. He occasionally writes about his latest genealogical findings on his blog, Riverbend Journal.

Photos courtesy of Ed.

My Google+ / Android Smart Phone Nightmare

Do you have an Android Smart Phone and are actively engaged in social media using Google+?  Then you could have a recipe for disaster.  Allow me to share my own story.

Let's keep in mind that I am not a programmer or otherwise savvy technogeek.  I'm not in dark ages either.  I know how to use most of the tools I need and where to go for help when I need it.  This time around I am at a total loss.

I admit I am a very active person on Google+. I have circled over 2,500 people, mostly genealogists, historians, writers and photographers.  I like to be in the thick of the conversation.

One of the features of the Android Smart Phone is that it syncs automatically with Google.  That means any contacts I put in my Google contacts will sync automatically to my phone. And likewise any contacts I add manually to my phone get synced to my Google contacts in gmail.  I maintain about 200 contacts which consists of family, friends and colleagues that I might need to call. Normally this is a great feature.

Enter Google+ into the picture.  With its promotion of total integration, Google is interconnecting all of its functionality/apps.  That means they are trying to be helpful by syncing all Google+ contacts to my regular Google contacts account.  And in turn that means 2,500+ contacts are being synced to my Android Smart Phone.

Before you start worrying about privacy and your contact info, for some weird reason I can't see the individual Google+ contacts  either in my Google contacts or on my phone.  But they are there taking up my storage space. (Though I have heard of other people who could see their contacts and deleted them.  This caused them to lose all of their contacts from their Google+ circles. So I heard.)

In fact the situation got so crazy on my phone that it actually shut down total functionality on my phone.  I wasn't able to run anything.  So I took the extreme measure of resetting my phone to the factory default settings.  As soon as that was done and my phone reprogrammed I immediately turned off the sync contacts feature.

I have contacted Google+ to see if they can help me resolve this problem.  I have searched the web looking for answers.  I have asked my Google+ contacts for help to see if they had any tips.  In the meantime, I won't be syncing my contacts anymore until I get an answer to resolve the problem.

If you start getting space storage problems on your Android phone and you're a Google+ user then this could be the problem.  As far as I can see, Google doesn't provide options in either Google+ or in Google contacts to shut off the automatic syncing of the Google+ contacts.

If anyone knows how to resolve my problem please let me know!! I would really like to get back to normal operation with my technology.   Thanks for listening to my rant and triple thanks if you can help solve my problem.

ps. My particular brand of phone is the Android Ally.