RootsTech 2023 | Collect, Organize, Protect: Building Your Family's Digital Legacy

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the attendees and setting the stage for the discussion on organizing one's family legacy. They share their background in journalism and history, emphasizing their passion for capturing and documenting the world. The speaker introduces the concept of using digital files like photos, videos, and documents to tell our stories and mentions the importance of having these files accessible and organized across devices. They also hint at the potential drawbacks of relying solely on the cloud for storage and foreshadow the strategies they will share for gathering, organizing, and safeguarding these precious memories.

The speaker delves into the challenges of photo organization and privacy, highlighting the importance of having easy-to-search photos stored in a single location. They discuss the risks associated with not having proper backup and privacy measures, using recent data breaches as examples. The speaker then introduces the concept of 'miliophotos,' a project aimed at simplifying the process of collecting, organizing, and protecting photos. They outline five steps: collect, connect, reflect, select, and protect, and emphasize the ease and straightforwardness of the process, assuring the audience that managing their digital legacy doesn't have to be a daunting task.

The speaker provides practical strategies for organizing photos, emphasizing the use of actual computer folders over virtual catalogs. They discuss the benefits of working with folders, such as the ability to move and rename photos easily, and the importance of having a single photo library. The speaker also touches on the advantages of using devices like smartphones and tablets for organizing photos, highlighting how these can be done offline and the convenience of having one's photo library accessible across different devices.

The speaker discusses the misconceptions around cloud storage and the importance of having multiple backups of data. They introduce the concept of 'milio,' a tool that allows users to connect all their devices and work offline. The speaker stresses the benefits of having optimized copies of photos for disk space and the ability to review and organize photos using quick review mode. They also mention the convenience of having an 'inbox' on all devices for saving important images and texts, emphasizing the importance of consolidating and organizing memories in one place.

The speaker highlights the features of 'milio' that allow users to reflect on their memories through a chronological calendar. They explain how photos from different devices can be viewed by day or month and how users can create events to group photos together. The speaker also talks about the importance of face recognition tags and the ability of 'milio' to recognize and suggest people in photos without needing to go to the cloud. They share a personal story of how 'milio' helped them identify and compile pictures of their late aunt, showcasing the power of technology in preserving and rediscovering memories.

The speaker discusses the benefits of adding GPS data to photos, especially for older photos that do not have this information embedded. They demonstrate how 'milio' allows users to add addresses to their photos and view them on a map, enhancing the interactivity and storytelling aspect of photo organization. The speaker shares a personal anecdote of visiting their father's childhood home and using 'milio' to explore the neighborhood virtually. They also mention the upcoming AI features that will enable users to search for photos based on more complex criteria, such as emotions or specific objects.

The speaker talks about the advanced search and filter capabilities of 'milio,' allowing users to find photos based on various criteria like dates, folders, locations, and ratings. They also introduce the concept of 'reject flags' for hiding unwanted photos and the quick review process for easily sorting through photos using swiping gestures. The speaker expresses excitement about the upcoming AI features that will enable users to find photos based on more complex criteria, such as emotions or specific objects, and emphasizes the speed and convenience of these search results.

The speaker discusses the ease of improving the quality of scanned photos using 'milio.' They explain how the software's auto color correction feature can fix color imbalances and how batch processing can be used to apply these corrections to multiple photos quickly. The speaker also talks about the importance of preserving the original quality of photos when editing and sharing, and how 'milio' avoids the need for exporting new files, thus preventing loss of quality and clutter.

The speaker addresses the importance of privacy and data protection when sharing photos. They discuss the risks of personal information being extracted from photos and shared online, and how 'milio' allows users to strip metadata from photos before sharing. The speaker also talks about the company's mission to preserve memories and the importance of keeping data private and secure. They mention the automatic backup feature of 'milio' and the benefits of having multiple hard drives for storage, emphasizing the goal of making the process of organizing and preserving memories easier and more secure.

The speaker concludes by reiterating the importance of organizing one's digital legacy and the potential for discovering forgotten memories through the process. They introduce David, the inventor of 'milio,' who shares his personal journey and the motivation behind creating the software. David demonstrates the chronological life calendar feature of 'milio' and shares how it has changed the way he remembers and accesses his own memories. The speaker invites the audience to visit the 'milio' booth for more information and to provide feedback, emphasizing the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and lifelong learning.

The speaker wraps up the session by thanking the audience for their time and participation. They encourage attendees to enjoy the rest of the conference and express appreciation for the opportunity to share insights on organizing and preserving family legacies. The session ends on a positive note with a reminder of the value of memories and the potential of 'milio' to help keep them alive and accessible.