Review: Dr. Eureka Is Fun for Everyone

Today I had an opportunity to play a new game by Blue-Orange called Dr. Eureka. This is a really fun game where every player is a scientist. Each scientist is trying to solve a formula using plastic test tubes to get coloured balls into the same pattern shown on a card. Sounds easy, right? Wrong!

The challenge is that you have to  pour your balls from one test tube to the other in order to get them in the correct order. You can't just dump the balls on a table and sort them. This game is great for young players but also for older ones, including adults! What a great activity for genealogists to bond with their children or grandchildren. Imagine the ancestor stories you can tell as you all try to solve the formula.

It's also educational. Younger children are going to learn planning and thinking ahead. All players need to think logically, devise a plan and then execute their ideas for getting those balls into the correct order.

To put it simply a card is chosen. Each player races to be the first to solve the formula (getting all the balls in the same order as shown on the card). The first player to solve the formula gets the card. The rules say that the first player to get 5 cards wins, but you could set the final number at anything you wanted. Playing to get 5 cards takes around 10 to 15 minutes.

Two of my grandchldren, now aged 8 and 10, spend a week with me every year and sometimes it is during school days. As a former teacher I have them write in their journal each day, and do some math with me. I found that having a couple of games of Dr. Eureka between the Math and the Journal writing helps them switch to a different mode of thinking. We do Journals first, then Dr. Eureka to switch their thoughts from creative to logical, then we tackle Math.

The Cards

I rate this game 5 stars. It's easy to understand, fast and easy to play as well as lots of fun.

• Age: 6+
• Players: 1 – 4
• Play Time: 10 – 15 mins

Dr. Eureka is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

Disclaimer: Blue Orange sent me a free game for review purposes.

I Love This! AGS Laser Projection Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard

I just bought a new toy. It's a virtual keyboard and I love it! I can text much easier now from my iPhone, and this little device slips easily into my purse for when I'm not at home. It weighs 5 ounces and is only 2 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches in size!

After reading reviews of different brands, I bought the AGS Laser Projection Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard

It works on an Iphone, Ipad, Smartphone and Tablets

Right now it's on sale for $39.90, regularly $169.99!  

Here's some details from the Amazon page:

• Easily pair laser projection keyboard & mouse for your Iphone, Ipad, Smartphone, laptop or tablets
• For devices with bluetooth, operation systems: Windows, iOS, Android, Mac OS
• English QWERTY keyboard layout

And here's mine in action! The cord is just for charging. I set it up on a wooden TV tray and it worked just great.

If you are in Canada you have to buy it from Amazon.ca and it will cost you $59.99 Canadian. Use this link  AGS Wireless Laser Projection Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard & Mouse for Iphone, Ipad, Smartphone and Tablets 

Americans can purchase it for $39.99 U.S. by using this link: AGS Laser Projection Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard

I am having a lot of fun with my new toy.  

Telling Your Family Story on Crestleaf

Telling Your Family Story on Crestleaf

If you're looking for a place to create an online family tree with photos, the website Crestleaf might just suit your needs.

 The company states that 

Crestleaf is a free online family tree builder that has been used by tens of thousands of people to document their family history.  Along with the family tree tool, we provide free access to 90 Million+ historical records. 

 

So I checked Crestleaf out and it looks intriguing.

When you go to the website you have the option of using your Facebook login or signing up with an email account. 

Once logged in you can search for records of ancestors but be forewarned that Crestleaf is in beta mode and only has the S.S.D.I. death records at present. I decided to create a family tree.

Crestleaf walks you through this process and when you have completed a few names, you see a note that you are being given free space for 250 photos. You also have the option to purchase more space.

Here is what a Crestleaf representative told me about this option:

Users can upload up to 1 GB of photos (about 250 old photos).  In the future,  users will be able to get more storage in one of two ways:

1) Invite your relatives to collaborate with you on your tree - we'll give you more free storage for each relative that joins.
2) Upgrade to a paid account for a nominal fee (this fee amount has not yet been finalized)

My readers know that I am a huge fan of telling and preserving family stories and Crestleaf indicated that they are focusing on that same goal

We're building a place where users can add all of that information into one place where they can tell their family's story.  So, our future focus will be less on adding more historic records and more on improving the ability to tell your story via the family tree and through historic photos 

I suggest you give Crestleaf a try. They also have a blog with some interesting articles. 

Review of Top Hat Photo Repair and a Discount for my Readers

Recently a photo restoration service called Top Hat Photo Repair offered to restore a photo of my choice in exchange for a review of their services. I have dozens of old photos that need some restoration work so the offer was tempting.

However I my reviews are always honest so I had to warned them that if I didn't like the service they would not get a good review from me. Well I'm pleased to say I am very happy with the work they did! 

Here is the before photo. It's a very dark photo of my grandmother holding my mother ca 1916. 

I love this photo. Clothes on the line, Grandma's pocket bulging with clothespegs and my mom no doubt squirming in her arms. 

Here is the photo after Top Hat Photo Repair was finished restoring it. I can see Grandma's face better and my mom's face is completely visible now. They were very accommodating about doing more on the photo after sending me their first restoration. There were 2 small items I wasn't 100% satisfied with in the first attempt but I love the final product below.

Michael, of Top Hat Photo Repair has offered my readers a discount of 20% on photo restoration. Just use the promo code "olive"  This discount is good until September 15, 2014. Their prices are very reasonable and I hope some of my readers will be able to take advantage of this offer.

WARNING! MediaFire Cloud Storage - 2 Thumbs Down

Recently I heard about MediaFire, a cloud storage service. According to their welcome page "With 50GB of free space, you can use MediaFire to backup all your important files—and even your not-so-important ones too."

It's important to note that there is no fine print, no caveat, no details and no other mention of the amount of space given to you when you sign up for MediaFire. 

So let me ask you how much space you BELIEVE you are given when you create an account - 50 GB?

Well if you thought that, you're wrong. You get 10 GB on signup. Yes, you can jump through hoops and earn more free space UP TO 50 GB but contrary to the implied message on their welcome page you do not start with 50 GB

Now I have no problem completing tasks to obtain more free space. What I have a problem with is the sneakiness of the message! Be aboveboard and honest and tell newcomers that they start with 10GB and can earn 40 more.

That was Strike One for me. 

But I started earning my extra GB. I created an avatar for which I was to get 1GB. It never got added to my account. I completed two other "tasks" and earned 4 GB. If I linked my Facebook and Twitter accounts I could earn more. I didn't like the sound of that as there is no need for my Social Media accounts to be linked. That was Strike Two. 

Then I started reading about some issues with MediaFire - among other issues was one that concerned me -  that private files were sometimes inadvertently shared with strangers. That was Strike Three and at that point I decided to delete my account.

Easier said than done! I could not find any way to delete the account I had opened. I consulted the Help File. The instructions were simple and clearly explained but when I followed them I had no "DELETE MY ACCOUNT" button on the page where it was supposed to be. Finally I wrote to Customer Support for help. 24 hours later I had my answer. Here is what they said:

"The delete button appears after the account has been open for at least 7 days.  Until then, the account cannot be deleted. "

Are they kidding me?? A new customer is held hostage for 7 days and cannot leave the service? Strike Four. I was flabbergasted and very annoyed so I replied that I did not wish to keep my account open for 7 days. I demanded they delete my account for me since I had no way of doing that.

I should note that I also posted on their Facebook page, and tweeted them on their Twitter account with no response.

Five days passed and MediaFire Customer Support had not responded. Strike Five.  I wrote again thanking them for providing me with such terrific material for the negative review I would be writing on my blog. I mentioned the review ould be posted on Twitter, Pinterest, Google + and Facebook. I demanded they delete my account on my behalf.

Within 2 hours I had a response. Interesting that it took a threat of a negative review to elicit any response let alone such a quick one! Strike Six

Their response? Here it is: 

"Unfortunately that is the only way to delete an account. We are not holding any hostage. We are ensuring that you have time to test the services we offer and it is our way to reduce the amount of garbage accounts.

After seven days from when you created your account you will be able to log in and delete it."

On Day 7 I followed instructions in the Help File, found the DELETE MY ACCOUNT button which had magically appeared on my page, and deleted my account. 

On Day 9, using a different browser, I returned to MediaFire and tried my login information. I did this because at this point I do not trust this service. Lo and behold MY ACCOUNT STILL EXISTS! I can see my files, my account name, the fact that I earned more GB and have a total of 14 GB of space etc.

On the Account and Billing Information page, which is where the DELETE MY ACCOUNT button appeared after 7 days of being held hostage, that button is no longer there. 

I will be writing to MediaFire Customer Support again but meantime I urge others to give MediaFire a pass. Use a reliable cloud storage service such as Dropbox which does not use trickery or strongarm tactics to keep its customers. 

And wish me luck in getting my account deleted once and for all.

Who Do You Think You Are? Disappoints Last Night

Who Do You Think You Are? on  TCL  in partnership with Ancestry.com last night featured a journey with Cindy Crawford.

I watched it as I watch every episode. And I was horrified. (Warning: Spoiler Alert)

Cindy knew very little beyond her great grandparents' names so she first went to Ancestry.com to search in census records. That was a great starting point but when she searched she found several men with the same name.

When she spotted one who lived in the same area she quickly accepted him as her ancestor. Now, perhaps she knew his wife's name. Perhaps the show's researchers had verified it was the correct man, but we, the viewers, were not made aware of any verification!

The episode quickly went downhill. Soon Cindy was shown a chart taking her back to a Puritan ancestor who came from Taunton England in the early 1600s. She remarked "It's pretty incredible to get back that far on my first day" What a bad message to send beginning genealogists! Forget "incredible", it's next to impossible! Finding and verifying that lineage so far back would have taken weeks, months, perhaps even years for most genealogists.

The clincher was near the end of the episode. Cindy is consulting with a researcher in England and he pulled out a huge rolled up scroll. She begins to unravel it and sees it is a  chart showing her ancestry from her Puritan ancestor Thomas Trowbridge. As she unrolls it she starts counting the generations "...24, 25, 25..." then she reaches the top name on the chart. Charlemagne! Good grief. Is this not what makes us cringe? Don't we warn beginners about jumping back to Charlemagne, about slowing down and carefully checking each fact?

It's almost akin to the age-old genealogy joke that someone descends from one of three brothers who were shipwrecked at sea, clung to a paddle or piece of driftwood in the ocean, washed ashore, had their name changed at Ellis Island and met and married an Indian Princess!

Not one shred of evidence was shown to viewers. Then Cindy, instead of focusing on one or two ancestors of interest who she might learn more about, went off to the birthplace of Charlemagne to learn about him.

So much for genealogy, this episode was about collecting names, the more names the better. All fluff and no substance. 

Now I am not saying that the researchers behind the scenes did not do their homework. I'm quite sure they did. Top-notch genealogists and historians were on the research team. I know it took over 1000 hours of research on their part, which had to be condensed into a one hour (less with commercials) segment. But the producers did a disservice to genealogy and to the behind-the-scenes researchers by not giving some indication of the work involved, of the methods of proving each step before going on to the next. And it sent the wrong message to those just starting their own genealogy journey.

I hate seeing an episode like last night's that made genealogy look like a quick fix. Yes we want to encourage people to start searching for their ancestors, but let's not lie to them!  Genealogy is a life-long pursuit. It can take years to go from one distant ancestor to the next. It isn't fast, it isn't easy but it is very rewarding if you take your time and gather all details you can find on each ancestor.

Playing with Uencounter.me and Loving it!

Uencounter.me is a very cool site. It's a virtual pin map site which allows you to mark significant events on a map and designate the timeframe for the event. There's a social aspect to it too as you can link to others who are using it. Best of all it's free!

It's great for genealogists and I've been playing around in it for a few weeks now. When I first tried this site out there was a problem with date choices in the drop down menu which didn't start early enough. I knew the site was new and so minor glitches were to be expected.  I sent an email about the date issues, received an immediate response and the problem was corrected very quickly.

A week or so later I encountered another glitch with the Google map search. Again I reported it and by next morning it was fixed by the site developer. And I was informed by email that it was now working properly. Immediate response and fast action to overcome glitches - it doesn't get any better!

Some ideas for genealogists based on my experiences with Uencounter.me:

* Mark an ancestor's residence in various years

* Drop pins for events such as a birth, death or marriage of an ancestor.

* Track an ancestor's migration pattern by dropping pins along his or her route.

I'm sure readers will come up with many more ways to use this site. 

When you first log in there are various choices represented by circular icons on the top right: Build your map; Say thanks; Find Someone. I've only used Build your map so far and it's easy.

Just use the built-in Google map to find the location you want for a pin. Then enter your information using the drop-down menus (how easy is that!). The colour of the pin is automatically chosen by the category you choose. Yes, genealogy is a category

Olive Tree Genealogy Profile Page

Uencounter.me recently added the ability to create user profile pages and I've got one under Olive Tree Genealogy  So if you are using Uencounter.me drop me a link request and we can link together.

I like this site and plan on spending more time here and dropping many more pins.

My Memories Suite - Liking it So Far!

Recently I downloaded a copy of MyMemoriesSuite and started playing with it. I haven't had a lot of time to really get into it but so far it looks intriguing! It's easy to download and install and once you open the program it's very intuitive to use.

Basically MyMemoriesSuite is digital scrapbooking software. My Memories Suite is rated #1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews. Using this software, anyone can create digital scrapbooks, photobooks, cards, calendars and gifts without having to buy expensive and complicated software programs.

I started a scrapbook of my grandchildren's photos using one of the free template designs. You can see one of the pages on the left. It's easy to remove or replace photos using the tool bar on the right.

You can also rotate images easily, add text or video or narration! I haven't tried adding video or narration but that will be my next step.

Now for good news for readers of OliveTreeGenealogy Blog! You can use this special code STMMMS31969 to get  a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

If you try it out, please do let me know how you liked it in a comment here on my Blog. 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this software for review purposes.

Echo Smart Pen: Handy Tool for Genealogists

Echo Smart Pen

This is my new Livescribe 8 GB Echo Smartpen which I bought from Amazon.com

I've been looking at them for over a year and finally took the plunge to buy one last month.

The Echo Smart Pen allows me to record anything I want from my pen to special notebooks, and then transfer the recordings to my computer.

Special Noteboo

How great would that be at a family reunion? I could go from person to person and record a few minutes of their thoughts on the reunion, or their memories of past reunions, or I could ask them to give one memory of their childhood.  Then it would be a simple matter to transfer the recordings to my computer, turn them into text and create booklets for the next family reunion!

I can also visit my 88 year old auntie and have her reminisce about the past while my pen is recording and I make quick jot notes in the special notebooks.

The notebooks have controls at the bottom of the pages. You press on Start with your pen to begin recording and Stop when you are done. There are other controls - pause, rewind, scroll ahead for example. You can fast forward and do other functions directly in the notebook.

The jot notes are great because while you are recording the person, you make point form or jot notes. Then you can touch your pen to any point in your jot notes to replay just that portion of the recording.

I bought a set of 4 notebooks and my SmartPen came with one so I'm pretty set for recording family histories. For a limited time a purchase of the 8GB SmartPen also includes a one year premium subscription to Evernote  I already use the free version daily so I'm a happy camper)

Next week I will be visiting my auntie to start recording her memories. I'm really excited! 

Here's what came in the box:

• The Echo smartpen with 8GB of memory
• Livescribe Connect Premium: Includes Connect Basic (Facebook, Evernote, MyLivescribe, your mobile device, and your computer) plus additional connectors for Email and Google Docs
• Livescribe Desktop software for Mac or Windows (download)
• 500 MB of personal online storage
• Starter dot paper notebook
• Micro USB Cable
• Interactive Getting Started Guide
• Smartpen Tips and Tricks
• 2 smartpen caps
• 2 ink cartridges

 If you don't think you need anything as big as the 8GB, there is also the Livescribe 2 GB Echo Smartpen Starter Pack or the Livescribe 4 GB Echo Smartpen  available.

GoGoNavigator & Live Traffic App for iPhone

Gogo Navigator USA & CAN is a real-time 3D navigation app for the iPhone. It features real-3D, Live Traffic (an in-app purchase add-on), Text-To-Speech voice guidance, Lane Guidance, Signpost Display, and  more.

There are so many options in Gogo Navigator that when I first downloaded the app I was overwhelmed. There are many cool features such as the voice commands and the 3-D display.  I had a little trouble understanding the voice commands but hubs had no problem at all. I think some minor tweaking at my end to adjust volume level will likely solve the bit of trouble I had.

Hubs and I have always had problems on our road trips. And we make a lot of genealogy road trips! So Gogo Navigator seemed like a good fit for us.

I did notice that my iPhone battery drained quickly when I was in Gogo Navigator but that's common to any GPS system on your phone. A quick side trip to the Gogo Navigator website gave me the solution. I had a few choices to minimize battery drain but the one I used (and it works well) was to be sure to use the QUIT button in Gogo Navigator instead of just using my Home button on my iPhone to go to another app. Using the QUIT button ensures that the GPS is not running in the background. Easy to do and a perfect solution. Also when in the car, and using Gogo Navigator on your iPhone as your GPS of choice, you can plug your iPhone in and the battery won't drain.

I've been using Gogo Navigator for a week now and what I love best about it is the Live Traffic Report. Live Traffic, with information provided by Clear Channel Total Traffic Network. gives you an up-to-date report on road conditions on your route Are roads closed? How long are they expected to be closed? Is traffic slow but the roads are open? These questions and more are answered on LiveTraffic.

To access LiveTraffic you choose your destination, then Gogo Menu and then Traffic (the bottom middle button). The next screen takes you to Traffic List screen and a choice of All Messages or On My Route.

This is an example of what you see in Live Traffic. I had chosen a location in Pennsylvania as my destination and Live Traffic brought up several screens of traffic information (in order from my house to my destination) 

The icons tell  me what the problem is - construction, road closure, etc. I can click on the right arrow (beak) for details including what the problem is and how long it is expected to last. The exact time the problem arose is also given.

The next road trip hubs and I take for genealogy research should be much less stressful. We use a GPS system already and it saves us lots of headaches as we head out to unknown cemeteries, libraries or museums in cities and towns unfamiliar to us. But I'm going to use Gogo Navigator on our next trip. With the Live Traffic add-on in Gogo Navigator it should all be smooth sailing!


Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review but I was  provided with the app at no cost so I could review it. I tested it on my iPhone 3GS using IOS 4.2.1 and the version of Gogo Navigator  I used is 1.2.0

Discoveries at Archives.com

Try a Free Search

Recently I started playing around in Archives.com and was pleasantly surprised at the changes and additions to the website.

There are various death records in particular that I found of interest but I was impressed by the large collections of various vital records from different states.

I can't list them all here as there are far too many but you might want to have a look for yourself. I was also happy to see that Archives.com also provides a Request Service - an on-site county search for any court, criminal, or civil record in the United States.  That's so helpful to those of us who don't have easy access to records we need for our ancestral lines.

One of the reasons I  got interested again in Archives.com  is that Anne Roach, RootsTech 2011 conference developer and chair, will join Archives.com as the Director of Content Development. I met Anne at RootsTech 2011 and she's amazingly talented. I can't wait to see what new content she manages to bring to Archives.com

More Cool Things About Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner That I Learned at RootsTech

The Flip-Pal booth in the RootsTech Exhibit Hall was humming and packed with crowds every time I went by. For those who’ve been out of touch the past few months, the  Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner is the latest “must have” for genealogists. Facebook has been buzzing with comments from genealogists such as “this is on my Christmas/Valentine’s Day/Birthday wish list!”

The Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner is small, lightweight and does a top-notch job scanning photographs, documents and just about anything you can think of. The built in software that installs on your computer allows for simple editing and stitching together of individual scans of larger items.

This little device is a winner! I bought one when it first came on the scene and I love it. You can read my previous raves at Fun With 87 Year Old Auntie & Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner and
Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

When I stopped at the Flip-Pal booth I chatted with a member of the Marketing team named Walt, who told me that there are new developments planned for the future. He also informed me that Couragent, Inc. (formerly Rocky Mountain Ventures Company) announced recently that the Flip-Pal™ EasyStitch software is now available for Mac computers. The latest software for both Mac and Windows is available to customers on the company website, www.flip-pal.com/customer-care, in the Downloads section.

Walt mentioned that "It is fascinating to hear all the different ways people wanted to use a Flip-Pal mobile scanner to collect genealogy information: pictures, documents, personal writings of ancestors and even scanning gravestones."

Diane & I with Flip-Pal

Walt introduced me to Diane, another marketing team member and part of the design team for the user interface and we had a brief chat. The crowds were clamoring for attention so I didn’t take up too much of her time. She did show me something they had brought to RootsTech to get a feel for reaction to it.

It's not a go and they didn't want me to share photos of it  but since 3,000 participants had an opportunity to take a peek, I will tell you what it was - covers or skins for the lid! I loved them and would have bought one immediately if they'd been in production and available. Fingers crossed that FlipPal goes ahead with the idea. If they do, I'll let you know about it here.

Walt sent me an email after I arrived home from RootsTech to tell me that they had 2 shipments of Flip-Pal™ mobile scanners and sold out both times. The booth sold out the first day and after the second shipment arrived the second day, they sold out of that as well. Every day of the show saw customers coming by the booth well before the show officially opened and until after the lights were dimmed in the evening. You can’t ask for more success than that.


Disclaimer: After buying, using and loving the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, I became an affiliate. I don't receive anything for telling you about Flip-Pal or how much I love it, but I do receive compensation if you purchase a unit through one of my links like this one - Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner.

Two Thumbs Up for Springpad! (A Review & Tutorial)

I've been using a nifty little free productivity program (app) called Springpad. It's similar to Evernote which I also use and really like. But I'm kind of getting Springpad and having fun with it! Springpad is designed to help you organize your daily life in an effective and visually pleasing manner. Best of all, it's free.

Springpad has plenty of templates for organizing the most common work-related tasks such as shopping, recipe planning, grocery lists and so on, but users  can easily create their own custom lists of tasks. You can also write notes and save them in folders which you name. I started a folder called "Lorine's Blogs" and in it I keep a list of blog post titles and ideas - topics I might want to write about. I also write some of my blog posts and save them on Springpad rather than compose them directly in Blogger (which is the blog format I use). This also allows hubs to proof-read my posts before I publish them.

Hubs also writes a genealogy blog (Ancestors At Rest) but he likes me to proof-read his posts before he publishes them. It wasn't working well for him to save them as drafts in Blogger, because I couldn't make changes if I wanted or needed to. So now he uses a folder in my Springpad where he writes and saves his blog posts and I go in and add suggestions or correct typos.

How does this work for genealogy?  I'm sure there are many ways I haven't thought of but here are a few I'm working on:

1. You can easily create a research to-do list in the Check List area. Then when you are at a Library or Family History Centre or even a local museum you can easily open Springpad and look to see what's on your list of items. Did I mention you can get the Springpad app for your mobile phone or iPad? That allows you to access your work from any of your devices.

2. In the Task List area you can create a "Task" for each ancestor you are currently researching. Enter some basic facts (birth, marriage, death) as well as location and time periods for that ancestor, and add a point form list of their spouse and children and you have a mini-genealogy group sheet at your fingertips.  I like to list all the census records that my ancestor was alive for - and beside each year I tick off if I have found them (and where). That allows me to very quickly determine if I need to have a search in a specific census year or years.

This is what you see after you create your free account and log in to Springpad. Various templates are available to personalize your Springpad area and so this green one is one I chose.  The "All My Stuff" folder and "Friends" folder are already there. To add a new folder you click on the large +

Inside "All My Stuff" you see Flagged Stuff (items you have flagged) and Alerts (items for which you've set a reminder). Then you see Types and under that are your choices of Notes, Tasks and Check List. Simply click on one and start writing or open a previously saved item.

The last section is Tags. This is where you will see tags (keywords) that you have added to your notes which help you find and organize what you've added. One of my Tags is "Sharing Memories" This is a tag I will add to any Sharing Memories posts I write and save in Springpad. By clicking on that tag, all my posts tagged with that phrase will display for me. I've tagged several of my notes with the words "Interviews" and "RootsTech" Clicking on either of those keywords brings up all notes or tasks for that tag.

Under each file you have created, there are tiny icons which display in bold with a pop-up one line of text to explain what each is for. One is to add tags (keywords), one toggles privacy (you can make your posts public or keep private),  one toggles the Flag status and one allows you to add the note or task to a notebook.

There's much more you can do with Springpad but let me leave you with this brief overview. As I play around with it over the next few weeks I should be able to write more about this productivity tool.

It'd be great if readers could jump in with their own ideas or uses for Springpad for genealogy.

Non-Disclaimer: I really like Springpad and receive nothing from the company for telling you about it. In fact they've never heard of me and don't even know I'm writing this review/tutorial!

Review: Wireless Keyboard for iPad

For Christmas, I asked Santa for the iPad Keyboard Dock. I was finding the iPad internal keyboard is a bit awkward for extended typing. It was fine for brief emails or tweets, but not for writing blog posts or lengthy emails.

Seting up my new keyboard was super easy. It combines a dock for charging your iPad with a full-size keyboard, which includes special keys that activate iPad features. I just wanted to type with it so didn't play with the other features. After two weeks I realized it isn't what I want.

I can't hold my iPad on my lap when it is in the dock, as it is too awkward and the iPad is at the wrong angle for me to see the screen. Putting it on my coffee table worked well except I had to lean forward and down to type which proved very uncomfortable after a short time.

As well, I found it extremely tedious to remove my iPad cover every time I wanted to use the keyboard! The iPad only fits in the dock when it's "naked". So I had to take the cover off, put the cover back on, take it off, put it on.. you get the picture.

Sure I could put it at the dining room table but if I'm going to do that, i might as well use my main computer at my desk! I want to sit on the couch and work from there.

Also I soon realized that the keyboard was not very portable with it's big extension dock on the back. And I need to take it to Salt Lake City when I am at RootsTech, since I'm one of the officlal RootsTech Bloggers.

Originally I wanted the wireless keyboard for the iPad but I misunderstood the description on the Apple website! Under "Minimum System Requirements" it says it requires a  "Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer with Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later" I thought that meant I had to have a stand alone Mac computer for the initial set up. Wrong.

The wireless keyboard works on Bluetooth technology and is as simple to pair with your iPad as it was to pair up my new Jambox with my iPad (more on that little delight in another blog post!)

I purchased the wireless keyboard and am loving it. It was easy to pair with my iPad by going into Settings, then General, then selecting Bluetooth. It automatically found the keyboard.

It is super easy to use. I can sit the keyboard on my lap and the iPad on my coffee table (propped up in its case) and type away.

I kind of wish I'd bought the folding wireless keyboard but if I tell hubby I am buying a third keyboard I think I'll hear about my bad decision-making for quite some time... and I do like this one.

It is going to work for portability and that's a huge plus!

I do need a sturdier dock of some kind to hold the iPad a bit steadier and at a slightly different angle, but I'll hunt around for something suitable. I would also like to have the iPad in landscape position instead of profile, but the angle is wrong when it's in my case and on the coffee table. 

It is much easier to type on the external keyboard. I recommend it.



I'm giving the wireless keyboard 4 out of 5 Olive Tree Genealogy family trees, and the keyboard dock gets 3.

Book Review: Crime & Punishment in Upper Canada

Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher's Guide (Genealogist's Reference Shelf)  by Janice Nickerson is a very detailed, well-researched reference book for genealogists.

Janice delves into the history of the Justice System in Upper Canada (present day Ontario) and walks the reader through the often confusing maze of available records. Her focus in this book is 1791 to 1841 and even that seemingly brief time span provides the genealogist with 243 pages of material.

Each section (topic) has a history and explanation, followed by examples both in text and images, and then Janice's inventory of what records have survived, where they are housed, and what we might expect to find in them.

It is a challenge for genealogists to find early Ontario (Upper Canada) records and Janice's book is a treasure trove. The examples are fascinating reading for historians or those interested in the circumstances of various crimes and their meted out punishments. Case studies are of actual individuals whose court cases were heard or who were charged with crimes.

The inventory list of resources made me drool! I am at a stage in my Ontario research where I need to find more obscure records - those that are challenging to discover. Janice's book has given me so many new leads and so many new avenues of research to investigate that I will be busy for quite some time.

 Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher's Guide (Genealogist's Reference Shelf) is a must-have for any serious genealogist or anyone struggling to find an ancestor in early Ontario.

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Dundurn Press (September 20, 2010)
Co-published by: Ontario Genealogical Society
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554887704
ISBN-13: 978-1554887705

Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

My Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner arrived yesterday. 


So today I gave it a test run. Let me jump to the end before I give you details -- I LOVE IT!

It was well packaged for its long journey to me in Canada. I was impressed with how lightweight it is and yet it looks solid and well-made, nothing flimsy looking about this scanner at all.

The instructions are on a little fold-out card and very simple and easy to follow.

It comes with a USB Adaptor for moving your scans from the Memory Stick (just like the one your digital camera has) to your computer - in case you haven't got a Memory Stick slot.

When you first turn the Flip-Pal Scanner on (it comes with batteries installed, how nice is that!), the Viewing Window walks you through setting the date and time. Simple. And yes, the Viewing Window is of neccesity small but even I with my very bad eyesight, can see the words and pictures just fine.

I grabbed an assortment of old family photos just to give the Scanner a test run.

It was super easy to set a photo on the scanning window and then push the green button on the side. Bingo - done!

Your scanned photo appears in the viewing window so you can make sure you've got what you want. Then you simply insert a new photo and push that green button again.

The bluish tinge you see here is a function of my camera, not the actual scan.

When I was done scanning, I popped out the Memory Stick from the Flip-Pal Scanner and inserted it into the USB Adaptor which I then plugged into a USB port on my computer.

Immediately I saw a window on my computer which gave me options as to what I wanted to do. I chose to use the built-in program (Flip-Pal Toolbox) that was offered, and clicked on that. Lovely! A very easy to understand window popped up with various options including registering my scanner (for a full year's warranty).

But first I chose the option BROWSE SCANS. They popped up just as items do in Windows Explore and I was able to quickly select all and move them to a folder on my C drive. Then I selected all again and deleted them from the Memory Stick.

Just click on the graphic or this link if you wish to order your own scanner.

The scans were of very good quality and I'm pleased with them. The photo on the left is my grandmother and two of her siblings in 1912. All in all I have only positive things to say about Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner .

I'll be putting it to more tests as soon as I can get to my 87 year old Auntie's place. She has a ton of old family photos that I'm drooling over but she won't let them out of her sight! So now's my chance to visit and scan away without those precious photos ever leaving her apartment.