RootsTech 2024 Roundup! Learn all of the latest announcements!
TLDRAmy Johnson hosts a recap of the Roots Tech 2024 event, highlighting major announcements from genealogy giants Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage. MyHeritage celebrates reaching 20 billion searchable records and unveils new features like the MyHeritage Wiki and an updated user interface. Ancestry adds 18.6 billion records and introduces Family Groups and improved DNA community features. The most significant reveal is FamilySearch's full-text searching across over 100 million images, revolutionizing the way researchers access historical documents.
Takeaways
- 🎥 The Roots Tech 2024 recap is hosted by Amy Johnson, who welcomes viewers tuning in at any time of day.
- 📈 MyHeritage has reached 20 billion searchable records, including unique deep European databases.
- 🌐 MyHeritage introduced a new look and functionality for individual profile pages, making it easier to use and read.
- 🧬 MyHeritage Wiki is a new resource for genealogy questions, offering articles on DNA and other topics, free to use.
- 🆕 MyHeritage is planning to release version 2.0 of their DNA service with unspecified improvements later in the year.
- 🎁 MyHeritage is offering free DNA kit uploads until March 10th, 2024, along with free access to advanced DNA features for those who transfer their data by that date.
- 📰 MyHeritage launched 'Old News', a website with digitized newspapers from various countries, offering a 7-Day free trial.
- 📈 Ancestry has added 18.6 billion records over the last year, reaching a total of 60 billion searchable records.
- 👨👩👧👦 Ancestry is rolling out 'Family Groups', a feature for private family sharing similar to a private Facebook group.
- 🔍 FamilySearch has introduced full-text searching for over 100 million images, including US land and probate records, and Mexican notari records, a significant advancement for genealogists.
- 🕰️ Amy Johnson will be hosting a free webinar on March 14th to share strategies for using FamilySearch's new full-text search feature effectively.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the Roots Tech 2024 recap?
-The main topic of the Roots Tech 2024 recap is the significant announcements made by the three major genealogy providers: Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage.
How many billion searchable records does MyHeritage have according to the recap?
-MyHeritage has reached 20 billion searchable records.
What new feature did MyHeritage announce regarding their DNA service?
-MyHeritage announced the upcoming release of MyHeritage DNA version 2.0, which is expected to include improved features, though the exact updates were not specified in the recap.
What is the new website launched by MyHeritage called, and what does it offer?
-The new website launched by MyHeritage is called Old News (oldnews.com), and it offers digitized newspapers from various countries with a 7-Day free trial.
How many billion records has Ancestry added in the last year according to the recap?
-Ancestry has added 18.6 billion records in the last year, bringing their total to 60 billion searchable records.
What is the name of the new feature Ancestry is rolling out for family collaboration?
-The new feature Ancestry is rolling out for family collaboration is called Family Groups.
What significant update did FamilySearch announce in the area of full-text searching?
-FamilySearch announced full-text searching for over 100 million images, including US land and probate records and Mexican notarial records, which is a significant update for genealogy research.
How can one access the new FamilySearch full-text searching feature?
-To access the new FamilySearch full-text searching feature, one needs to log into FamilySearch, scroll down to 'FamilySearch Labs,' click 'View experiments,' and then select the 'Expand your search with full text' experiment.
What is the date and time of the free webinar that Amy Johnson is hosting to discuss FamilySearch's new full-text searching?
-Amy Johnson is hosting a free webinar on March 14th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
How can one register for Amy Johnson's webinar on FamilySearch's full-text searching?
-To register for Amy Johnson's webinar, one can visit AmyJohnson.com/fulltext and sign up through the provided link.
Outlines
🎥 Roots Tech 2024 Recap Introduction
Amy Johnson hosts the Roots Tech 2024 recap, welcoming viewers from various platforms and times zones. She checks her technical setup and encourages viewer interaction by asking where they are watching from. Amy mentions the abundance of announcements at the event and focuses on the 'Big Three' genealogy providers: Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage.
📈 MyHeritage's Milestone and Features Update
MyHeritage celebrates reaching 20 billion searchable records, emphasizing their unique European databases. Amy suggests checking free trials or databases before subscribing to a service. MyHeritage also updates the appearance and functionality of their individual profile pages, making it easier to spot hints and interact with them directly from the profile page.
🌐 Launch of MyHeritage Wiki and DNA Updates
MyHeritage introduces their new Wiki, a resource for genealogy questions, which Amy finds somewhat confusing due to the existence of the FamilySearch Wiki. MyHeritage also announces an upcoming DNA 2.0 version and a special offer to upload DNA kits for free until March 10th, 2024, with advanced DNA features available at no extra cost.
📰 MyHeritage's Old News Website and Subscription Details
Amy discusses MyHeritage's new website, Old News, offering digitized newspapers from various countries with a 7-Day free trial. She notes that while Old News is not included in MyHeritage subscriptions, an Omni tier is being introduced to include all MyHeritage services. Amy also expresses a desire for a list of available newspapers on Old News.
🔍 Genealogy Software Recommendations and Discussion
Amy addresses a question about Roots Magic for Mac, advising that genealogy software should be personally suitable and not just popular. She encourages trying out software during sales or free trials to find the best fit. Amy also invites viewers to subscribe for more genealogy tips and resources.
📊 Ancestry's Record Expansion and Upcoming Features
Ancestry announces the addition of 18.6 billion records, reaching a total of 60 billion searchable records. They introduce Family Groups for private family sharing and expanding Memories features. For DNA, Ancestry will add more communities, improve the relationship predictor, and roll out new features for subscribers, including filtering matches by community and ethnicity.
🛠️ Ancestry Pro Tools Suite and DNA Grouping Features
Ancestry is set to release a Pro Tools Suite with additional features for DNA subscribers, such as more details on shared matches, improved sorting, and the ability to create up to 64 custom DNA groups. Amy also addresses a question about MyHeritage's previous search by ethnicity feature.
🎉 FamilySearch's Full-Text Searching Game Changer
The biggest announcement from Roots Tech 2024 is FamilySearch's full-text searching, which includes over 100 million images from US land and probate records and Mexican notarial records. This new feature allows searching for any word within the documents, opening up vast research possibilities. Amy shares her excitement and plans for a webinar on search strategies.
📝 FamilySearch Full-Text Search Practical Applications and Webinar
Amy elaborates on the practical applications of FamilySearch's full-text search, such as finding names in wills and deeds that were previously unsearchable. She shares a personal discovery made during the Tech Forum and invites viewers to a webinar on March 14th to learn more about the feature and effective search strategies.
📆 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Webinar Registration
Amy concludes the recap by reiterating the significance of the new tools and resources for genealogy research. She encourages viewers to register for the upcoming webinar on FamilySearch full-text searching and expresses her excitement for the advancements in the field of genealogy.
🔚 End of Roots Tech 2024 Recap
The script concludes with a sign-off from Amy, who thanks the viewers for joining the recap and encourages them to explore their family history with the new tools and resources available.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Roots Tech 2024
💡Genealogy Providers
💡Searchable Records
💡European Ancestry
💡Free Trial
💡DNA Testing
💡Full-Text Searching
💡Omni Tier
💡Old News
💡FamilySearch Wiki
💡Ancestry Pro Tools
Highlights
Welcome to Our Roots Tech 2024 recap with host Amy Johnson.
MyHeritage announces reaching 20 billion searchable records.
MyHeritage's unique deep European databases are highlighted.
MyHeritage updates individual profile pages for better functionality.
Introduction of MyHeritage Wiki as a new resource for genealogy questions.
MyHeritage DNA version 2.0 is announced for later this year.
Free DNA kit upload to MyHeritage until March 10th, 2024.
Launch of Old News, a new website for digitized newspapers.
Old News offers a 7-Day free trial and includes newspapers from various countries.
Ancestry adds 18.6 billion records in the last year, reaching 60 billion searchable records.
Introduction of Family Groups on Ancestry for private family sharing.
Ancestry announces improvements in DNA communities and relationship predictor.
Ancestry Pro Tools Suite to include more DNA features for subscribers.
FamilySearch announces full-text searching in over 100 million images.
Full-text searching in FamilySearch includes US land and probate records, and Mexican notari records.
Amy Johnson's upcoming webinar on March 14th to discuss FamilySearch full-text searching strategies.
The potential of full-text searching to revolutionize genealogy research.
Registration for the webinar is available at AmyJohnson.com/fulltext.
Transcripts
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