News

Synium released an update to their Macintosh genealogy software MacFamilyTree. According to the software update dialog, version 5.6 includes the following changes:

• New Virtual Tree
  • Drastic performance enhancements by using multiple processors/cores when available
  • Much improved 3d alignment, especially in complex scenarios
  • Can only show partial subtrees within a database
  • Displays pictures of persons directly in the 3d tree when available
  • New palette to directly jump to near ancestors or descendants
• Improved Media Management
  • One picture, audio, web page or video can now be assigned to multiple persons, families, events or sources
  • Persons or families can be tagged on group fotos for easy identification
  • Pictures can be edited from within MacFamilyTree (cropping, hue control, saturation and noise reduction)
  • Images with embedded DPI information are now handled correctly and are displayed in full resolution
  • Media can now be bookmarked as it has already been possible for Persons or Families
  • Improved playback of Video and Audio media entries
• Virtual Globe
  • Improved rendering performance on slower Macs
  • More detailed map
• Other Improvements
  • Text-based Descendant and Ancestor Reports are now available in the Person Report
  • Full screen mode for the Virtual Tree and the Virtual Globe
  • All dialogs or sheets have been improved to a consistent and user friendly look
• Further performance enhancements throughout the whole application as well as a reduced memory footprint

Thanks to the 98 of you (so far) who have answered the call by joining GenealogyWise.com and the MacGenealogist group I created there, we’ve got the biggest on the whole site! we’re in 8th place for the most members. It’s great exposure for the Mac genealogy community to be seen first by everyone on GenealogyWise.com. It also tickles me to no end!

We’re going to be surpassed unless many more of you join us. I know there are hundreds more of you that could help us get back to the top. If helping people find and join our community isn’t enough, I have another good reason for you to join (besides it being free and making me happy).

There’s already some great information available there. For example, theres a great discussion on the forum where people are listing their favorite free genealogy resources. And, I’ve got an offer in the forum for a free educational program I’m starting that hasn’t been announced anywhere else.

What do you say? Will you help make my day?

FamilyLink has launched a new social network web site just for genealogists called GenealogyWise.com. It’s like Facebook, but focused on genealogy and its practitioners. There’s no cost to join.

It’s filling up fast! I’d love to see you there and have you listed among my friends. When you sign up, be sure to send me a friend invite. Also, join the MacGenealogist group I created there. Click on “Groups” on the navigation bar then enter “MacGenealogist” in the search box. Finally, click on “Join MacGenealogist” under the navigation bar near the right end.

The OS 3.0 tested version of the iPhone genealogy software from Synium Software GmbH, MobileFamilyTree is available it the iTunes Store. The update is said to include “many fixes for iPhone OS 3.0.” You can get the update through iTunes.

Leister Productions released the version 1.0.2 update to its Reunion genealogy software for the iPhone and iPod touch today. According to their website, the changes are:

• Added full compatibility with iPhone OS 3.0.
• Added dual color to the Overview when two people are in the same box.
• Added Swedish localization.

I hadn’t checked whether the copy, cut, and paste functions were working in 1.0.1, but they are now. I assume that, and possibly other things, are addressed by the first bullet.

The dual color feature in the overview looks like this: