Drew shares his three remaining interviews from RootsTech 2013:

• Elissa Scalise Powell, President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, discusses BCG's upcoming 50th anniversary celebration and what genealogists might want to know about becoming certified.
• Janet Hovorka, The Chart Chick, tells Drew all about her newest project, Zap the Grandma Gap, a book, workbook, and website that helps connect children and their families to fun genealogy activities.
• David Pogue, a well-known technology writer and presenter, provides an entertaining interview that ranges from discussing apps to playing a virtual ocarina. But even Drew can surprise David with an app he's never heard of!

Drew shares three more interviews from RootsTech 2013:

• Alec Tritton and Else Churchill describe an upcoming genealogy conference in the UK: Exodus: Movement of the People.
• Lisa Louise Cooke, host of The Genealogy Gems Podcast, talks about using iPads and other tablets for genealogy, which she covers in detail in her latest book Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse.
• Syd Lieberman, a renowned storyteller and one of the keynote speakers for RootsTech 2013, shares his ideas about the importance of stories.

The Genealogy Guys celebrate their 250th episode!

They discuss a wide variety of subjects, including:

• George's organizing projects to date this year
• The Guys' forthcoming book, Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, to be published in September 2013. The book is available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. 
• Upcoming conferences at which The Guys will be speaking this year.
• Drew is providing research assistance on a project concerning the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.
• Drew is working on the Boddie/Bodie surname with the Guild of One-Name-Studies.
• He also discusses FHISO, the Family History Information Standards Organisation. 

The Guys enthusiastically thank their sponsors and the thousands of listeners around the globe for their dedication and support over all the episodes.

George is out of town speaking for the North Carolina Genealogical Society, so Drew hosts this episode, beginning with the following news items:

• British Origins adds South London burials to its London collection.
• The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces a new partnership with its German equivalent, the German Association of Genealogical Associations (DAGV).
• FamilySearch indexing volunteers reach the 1 billion record milestone.
• Houstory thanks The Genealogy Guys for their previous coverage of their Heirloom Registry product.
• Ancestry.co.uk adds Wiltshire Church Records and Wiltshire Quaker Birth & Death records to its collection.
• AncestryDNA makes it easier to communicate with people who match, improves its website for mobile users, and provides the ability to download raw DNA data.
• Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com, makes several important announcements at RootsTech 2013, including the new partnership with FamilySearch to digitize 140 million pages of U.S. probate records; spending $100 million to digitize, index, and put online new content; the availability of AncestryDNA for $99 for everyone (not just Ancestry subscribers); the increase in size of the AncestryDNA database; the update to the Ancestry.com iOS app; and the significant percentage of younger users coming into Ancestry.com using mobile devices.
• FamilySearch adds significant new collections for such areas as Georgia and Washington county marriages; civil records for Bologna, Italy; and court records for Trumbull County, Ohio

Drew shares 3 interviews from RootsTech 2013, including:

• Judy G. Russell, who blogs at The Legal Genealogist
• Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of brightsolid (provider of FindMyPast.com)
• David Adelman, CEO of ReelGenie

The news includes:

• The Family History Library's Saturday hours will change on April 13, 2013, to 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• FamilySearch announces the additions of new collections, including the addition of indexing projects in process or completed.
• Findmypast.com has released 2.5 million UK criminal records covering the period 1770 to 1934.
• Ancestry.com announces that, for a limited time, users can buy Family Tree Maker 2012 and receive Photo Explosion Album, a photo editing software package for free.
• An international genealogy conference in the UK, Exodus: Movement of the People- The story of migration to, from, and within the British Isles - will be held September 6-8, 2013, at the Hinckley Island Hotel in Hinckley, Leistershire, UK. For more information, visit http://www.exodus2013.co.uk.

George provides reviews of some excellent materials:

• How to Archive Family Keepsakes by Denise May Levenick
• The Heirloom Registry, by Houstory Publishing (See more details at http://www.heirloomregistry.com.)
• A Week of Genealogy: Things to Know and Do Online and Offline by Dr. Margaret M. McMahon, Ph.D.
• Out-of-Style by Betty Kreisel Shubert

Listener email includes:

• Stan provides an excellent website called FileRight for Genealogy and Military Records, which includes many great military and naturalization links, at http://www.fileright.com/naturalization-family-roots-military-records.html.
• Beverly wanted to know why she can't locate 1820 U.S. federal census records for Montgomery County, NC.
• Tom asks about the future of DNA testing.

Drew talks about the resources he is using in two research projects in which he is participating.

Drew, an official RootsTech 2013 blogger, reminds listeners that Early Bird Registration for RootsTech 2013 ends on February 15th. Drew invites our listeners to email us at genealogyguys@gmail.com with suggestions for interviews while he's at RootsTech 2013.

Other news includes:

• RootsMagic announces a free viewer app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
• BillionGraves has been acquired by Otter Creek Holdings.
• Findmypast.com adds 21 million new Irish birth, marriage, and death records.
• The "Find My Past" TV show from the UK, seasons 1 and 2, is available for viewing online at http://www.findmypast.com/articles/find-my-past-tv/series-two.
• Ancestry.com has updated the 1850 and 1940 U.S. federal censuses online.
• The Federation of Genealogical Societies has launched a new blog for the War of 1812 fundraising at http://www.preservethepensions.org/blog/.
• MyHeritage has launched a special campaign offering deep discounts on DNA tests through Family Tree DNA. They also have released a new version of the free MyHeritage app that allows you to "edit on the go."
• The Suzanne Winsor Freeman Grant Committee has announced that applications are being accepted for the 2013 student grant. Contact Denise Levenick at swfgrant@gmail.com for more information.
• Saving Memories Forever announces the first community outreach by starting a fundraising campaign on February 11, 2013, on behalf of the American Widows Project.
• OCLC and FamilySearch have announced a combination of resources. FamilySearch's catalog will be incorporated into OCLC's WorldCat and WorldCat will be linked into the FamilySearch catalog.
• Drew discusses the FamilySearch announcements of new records added to their site.
• Family Chartmasters has announced announced a new book, Zap the Grandma Gap: Connect with Your Family by Connecting Them to Their Family History. The book is available at https://zapthegrandmagap.com.
• Drew suggests using Blogtrottr to notify you when there's a new episode of the podcast. Add the RSS address and an email will be sent to your mailbox.

Listener email includes:

• George provides more information about locating Boer War records to Jane, a follow-up to the discussion on episode #246.
• Michelle asks for advice about obtaining Railroad Retirement Board records.
• Rich identified an interesting site, WhatWasThere at http://www.whatwasthere.com.
• Ann recommends Google Picasa for organizing digital photographs.
• John makes multiple copies of the same digital photo and stores a copy with each person's record.
• George has bought a new CanoScan scanner and is busy digitizing all his documents and photographs.

The news includes:

• The Federation of Genealogical Societies announced the creation of a new society to promote the preservation of records in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Society of Preservation Patriots recognizes donors of $250 or more to the Rabbi Malcolm Stern-NARA Gift Fund of the Preserve the Pensions initiative.
• The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) announced its new blog, SpringBoard: News and Notes.
• The Newberry Library's Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture announced the release of a new historical web resource, the Chicago Foreign Language Press Survey, a collection of translations of approximately 50,000 newspaper articles from the 1860s to the 1930s from 22 ethnic newspapers.
• MyHeritage has released a new version of the MyHeritage app (v2.0) that lets users "edit on the go."
• The Blog Book Tour brings new books and authors directly to users' computers January 10-26, 2013.
• WikiTree announced free comparisons of GEDCOM files.
• Mahlon discusses Oklahoma death records available at http://oklahomadeathindex.blogspot.com.
• FamilySearch announced the addition of 7 million new records on January 15, 2013.

Listener email includes:

• Jane asks for pointers to record resources for the Boer Wars in South Africa
• Lori asks about problems obtaining SS-5 forms from the U.S. Social Security Administration.
• Carole describes her frustration at trying to obtain SS-5s.
• Shawn asked about the military pension records discussed in the December podcast at fold3.com.
• Ashley talks about her Slovak family.
• Anne purchased a Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 and is very pleased with it. (Learn more at http://scanners.fcpa.fujitsu.com/scansnap11/s1100.html.) She also discusses how she solved a handwriting interpretation problem.
• Virginia asks for guidance for how to enter a family scandal into her genealogy database.
• Jonathan is seeking a genealogical researcher for his Scottish Cameron emigrant ancestor. (Visit the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) website, the ICAPGen website, the Association of Professional Genealogists website, and the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) website.
• Kelly asks about naming conventions for digital photos.

The news includes:

• Ancestry.com's sale to Permira Advisors, LLP, was concluded on December 31, 2012.
• Findmypast.com announced the release of of significant records from 1790 to present for the U.S., the UK, Ireland, and Australia.
• Findmypast.com announced release of records concerning "The Green Redcoats" and more.
• RootsTech has announced the addition for its 2013 conference of Story@Home with a full selection of classes and workshops.
• The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRC) has announced that it has released a new search engine for their AID (All Israel Database). While each database is presented in the language of the material found, the search engine can understand both Hebrew and English, thereby making the search more effective than ever.
• The North Carolina Genealogical Society announces its first full webinar, Tarheels in the Family Tree, presented by Helen F. M. Leary, CG Emeritus, FASG, FNGS, to be released on the NCGS website. It is free to all from 18 to 20 January 2013. It will be available after that to NCGS members for free.
• The North Carolina Genealogical Society and the Caswell County Historical Society are hosting an all-day seminar on 6 April 2013 in Yanceyville, NC, with speaker George G. Morgan.
• FamilySearch.org continues to add millions of digitized records.

The listener email includes:

• Carolyn provides a number of suggestions to Evan in South Africa for his search as described in our 26 September 2012 episode.
• Timothy asks if there are any widespread problems or gaps within the 1940 census. He is having difficulty finding his grandfather, Eugene Langford Padgett (b. 1894). He also asks for suggestions concerning source citations for vital records materials found in his family's possession.
• Matthew shared information about a new application under development called "Storied" at kickstarter.com.
• Tom discusses errors that result and are perpetuated from people accepting without question information on online family trees. He urges the use of "critical thought and evaluation" before accepting such information as definitive.

The news includes:

• FamilySearch.org has contributed $250,000 to the Federation of Genealogical Societies' War of 1812 Pensions Digitization Project.
• RootsMagic has just released Version 6 of its family tree software program. A new video is available at their site, and the software is on sale through December 20, 2012.
• MyHeritage.com has announced its purchase of Geni.com.
• Origins.net announced 169,100 burial indexes (1560-1909) and 140,000 baptism indexes (1538-1882) covering Middlesex and London.
• Ancestry.com has announced the launch of its new newspaper site, Newspapers.com.
• The University of Indianapolis is teaming up with Ancestry.com to encourage students to explore and reflect on their family history.
• Ancestry.com has announced the launch of two new collections at their website: U.S. Headstone Applications, 1825-1963 and U.S. Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960.
• Ancestry.com has announced a new Community Support site at its website.
• WikiTree announces "Cousin Bait" Toolkits.
• FamilySearch.org continues its digitization and indexing projects. Learn more on the podcast.
• The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) has announced their election results.
• The New England Historic Genealogical Society has announced that their organization has won the 2012 Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW) "Edition Award" for its book Reminiscences and Traditions of Boston by Helen Mather Crocker, edited by Eileen Hunt Botting and Sarah L. Houser.

George reviews three new publications:

• Family History Library Research (At a Glance sheet) by Carolyn L. Barkley
• Birth, Marriage & Death Records: A Guide for Family Historians by David Annal and Audrey Collins
• Marriage Law for Genealogists: The Definitive Guide by Rebecca Probert

Drew mentions his upcoming appearance at the FGS-sponsored lunch at RootsTech 2013, and discusses a new Google+ facility called Communities.

Listener email includes:

• Jonelle responds concerning her poor experiences with obtaining records assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• David updates us on the passage of legislation in Northern Ireland to bring access to its BMD registers in line with the practice in Scotland.

The news includes:

• Ancestry.com agrees to a $1.6 billion buyout by Permira Advisors LLP.
• The governor and secretary of state of Georgia have announced that funding for the Georgia State Archives has been reinstated for the remainder of this fiscal year.
• FamilySearch continues to digitize and index millions of records and The Guys give an update.
• FamilySearch has been recognized for its "continued dedication and support" of African-American family history at the 2nd International Black Genealogy Summit held in Salt Lake City on October 18-20, 2012.
• WikiTree has announced the release of "MatchBot", a new automated matching tool.
• Origins.net has announced the addition of the first 25 of 176 Irish directories to its service.
• The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) has announced its new Board of Trustees, and additions of a one-hour video about certification and testimonials to its website.

Listener email includes:

• Mac tells us that he was able to obtain records from the U.S. Veterans Administration's Freedom of Information Office for an ancestor who was a Spanish-American War veteran. They conducted a BIRLS (Beneficiary Information and Records Locator Search).
• Doug discusses Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK).
• Sharon tells us that the search for Ellen Chance (discussed on a previous episode) should have included both Ancestry.com and findmypast for both passenger lists and departure records.
• Brad asks for advice about his large genealogy publishing project.
• Jane shares information about Merchant Marine records, and particularly about a list published by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service.
• Dennis discusses Reunion 9 and MacFamilyTree.
• Helen asks about possible resources for tracing an ancestor who may have been slain by Native Americans in Iowa in 1858.