As genealogical data has become more sophisticated, researchers have been increasingly confronted with the many limitations of GEDCOM in transferring that data. For more than two decades, our GenBridge technology has demonstrated that much more complete and accurate transfers can be achieved through direct imports. Other family tree programs have implemented the GenBridge technology or developed similar direct-import strategies, resulting in the preservation of precious data for countless researchers.

I am proud of the leadership role that TMG has played in the evolution of genealogical software and I encourage TMG users to continue to press developers to raise their standards and implement features that allow researchers to do the same.

In the interest of preserving users’ data, I have released a document that details TMG’s internal file structure and I will make GenBridge available for free to developers who wish to produce a direct import from TMG insofar as their programs support the same features.

It goes without saying that this has been a painful decision and is a significant milestone for me. TMG has been a major part of my life for more than 25 years and it is not easy to let it go. I recognize too and regret the degree to which it may leave researchers uneasy about the future of their data and the prospects for their research tools. I am taking a necessary step back from the genealogical community but with the hope that my contribution to it has left researchers better equipped to accomplish their research goals.

Bob Velke

Owner

Wholly Genes, Inc.

- Citations – There is now a button to preview the source output directly from the Citation screen.

- Add Multiple People – You can now add shared events (e.g., Census) on the Add Multiple People and Add Family screens, including the role of each participant. To set up a shared event, click on Setup on that screen.

- Add Multiple People – You can now add an Age column with a Birth Date column. If an age and the event date are added for a person, the Birth date will be calculated automatically.

- Add Multiple People – A new Copy button allows you to copy the value in the top cell of a column to everyone else on that screen.

- Tag Type Definition - Reminders can now be added for roles.

- Tag Entry - Right-clicking in either principal ID number field offers an option to switch the Principal ID numbers.

- Tag Entry - The notice about irregular date entry has been revised to work better and to be more informative.

- Tag Entry - Reminders now show on the Add/Edit Witness screens. A role reminder will display if it exists and will change if you change the Witness roles. If no role reminder exists, the tag type reminder will display.

- Sentences - The right-click menus in the Sentence fields are much more informative about the role variables being selected.

- Sentences - A number of new variables for event tags have been added. The “Subject” is the person about whom the current sentence is being constructed (the current Principal or the current Witness). These new variables are designed to make the global and custom sentences much more flexible.

Subject, Full name
[s+] Subject, Full name without pronoun substitution
[sS] Subject, Possessive full name
[sG] Subject, Given name
[sF] Subject, First name
[sL] Subject, Last name
[sA] Subject, Age
[sE] Subject, Exact Age
[sP] Subject, Pronoun he/she
[sPP] Subject, Possessive pronoun his/her
[sM] Subject, Objective pronoun him/her
[sGS] Subject, Possessive given name
[sFS] Subject, Possessive first name
[sLS] Subject, Possessive last name
[sFATH] Primary name of the father of the Subject
[sMOTH] Primary name of the mother of the Subject
[sPAR] The parents of the Subject

[PL] Current Principal, Last name (i.e., surname)
[POL] Other Principal, Last name
[P1L] Principal #1, Last name
[P2L] Principal #2, Last name
[PLS] Current Principal, Possessive last name
[POLS] Other Principal, Possessive last name
[P1LS] Principal #1, Possessive last name
[P2LS] Principal #2, Possessive last name
[RL:rolename]: The last name of all the people assigned the given role

- Master Place List - A column for place styles has been added.

- ...plus dozens of fixes to bugs that were brought to our attention by users.


After eight free upgrades in v8, there is a charge for this update ($29.00 download + $5 for an optional CD by mail) so you will need to go our web site to purchase a new unlock key and download the program:
http://www.whollygenes.com/tmg.htm

NOTE that TMG v8 and TMG v9 can be installed and run at the same time and the data projects are compatible (although the new sentence variables listed above will be ignored by v8). So you can install and get comfortable with the new features in v9 while you continue to work in v8.

Users who purchased TMG v8 or an upgrade within the last 90 days will receive a free update to v9.

Have fun!

Bob Velke
Wholly Genes, Inc.

Family History Software Takes Another Leap Forward

Columbia, Maryland – 21 December 2011 – Wholly Genes Software announces a major new release of its popular family history project manager, The Master Genealogist. The software, known by its users as “TMG,” is favored by novice and expert researchers alike because of its extreme flexibility, extensive documentation features, and the ability to transform dry family data into impressive charts, forms, and narrative reports.

This new release, TMG v8, includes a completely new report writer to accommodate 64-bit operating systems, but that is just the beginning of an impressive list of new and expanded features.

“For 18 years, TMG has consistently introduced innovative features that have slowly developed into industry standards,” said the company president, Bob Velke. “Version 8 is no exception, with ground-breaking features like color-coded narrative reports and the ability to import groups of people or entire families from a spreadsheet.”

For those who prefer, its new “Add Multiple People” and “Add Family” screens, which resemble a spreadsheet environment. are among the many new features in TMG v8 which were designed to make data entry easier and faster. Like many of the program’s most useful features, they were suggested by TMG’s very active user community. Other examples include a greatly expanded list of default roles (to link witnesses to the events of other people), an option to design new roles “on the fly,” new features to share your customizations with other researchers, and the ability to output Pedigree charts to Word or RTF with an index.

The expanded web-searching tool in TMG v8 now supports 15 sites, including Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, One Great Family, Footnote/Fold3, World Vital Records, and FindAGrave.com. (Some sites provide search results but require a subscription for full access to the records.) The feature supports the specific search options of each site and can even be configured to search them all at once. “After searching Google Books for a name like ‘Lucinda Rodgers,’” said Velke, “how often do we get distracted by the results and forget to go back and search for ‘Rodgers, Lucinda’, its spelling variations, or her married name(s)?” TMG’s new web-searching tool won’t forget to try all of the permutations of your search that are supported by each site and could lead to great new discoveries.

The Master Genealogist v8 Gold Edition is available for $59 as a download from www.WhollyGenes.com and from its international dealers. The upgrade for users of v7 is $29.95. An optional CD is available by mail for a nominal extra charge.

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, has the reputation of being the most powerful family history project manager on the market and is in use in more than 40 countries around the world.

Contact:

Wholly Genes, Inc.

support@whollygenes.com

5144 Flowertuft Court

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260

###

Please join us for the fun and educational event of the year! Our annual conference always sells out because it follows a proven formula: three days of presentations by expert genealogists alternating with three days of vacation on tropical ports, plus great food, evening entertainment, and the companionship of family researchers from around the world -- all for less than you'd pay for a week at the local Holiday Inn.

Our annual conference is the largest on the seas because of its tradition for offering a first-class lineup of genealogical speakers – and this year is no exception. We'll learn how to be better researchers, to break through our brick walls, and to take full advantage of records, finding aids, and technology from these experts:

• John Humphrey, CG, is an award winning author who specializes in German and Pennsylvania research. He has lectured throughout the United States and in Germany. He is past president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society, a past vice president of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the former director of the National Genealogical Society Learning Center and a faculty member at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University.
  
• Audrey Collins was a professional genealogist for many years before taking her current position as a Family History Specialist for The National Archives (TNA) in the United Kingdom. A Scot herself, she is the author of many books and magazine articles about English family research. She is also a blogger, hosts podcasts for TNA, and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).
  
• Richard Sayre, CG, is a professional genealogist with a special interest in urban research methodology, technology and mapping tools for genealogists, military records, immigration, the Ohio River Valley, and Western Pennsylvania. Rick is the coordinator for the "Land Records: Using Maps" course at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University (IGHR). He has also lectured at IGHR in the Advanced Methodology, Advanced Military, Research in the South, Techniques and Technology, and Land courses.
  
• Pamela Boyer Sayre, CG, CGL, is a professional researcher, writer, and genealogical lecturer specializing in records of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and computer tools. She is a coordinator and instructor at Samford University's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). She is the former Director of Education and Publications for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and co-author of "Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage with the Power of the Internet" (2003) and "Research in Missouri" (1999). She is a former board member of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), a former director of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), a former board member of the Genealogical Speaker's Guild, and a life member of St. Louis Genealogical Society. She is also the former FGS FORUM Digitools columnist and past editor of the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly.
  
• Craig Roberts Scott, CG, M.A. (HRM), is the CEO and President of Heritage Books, Inc., a genealogical publishing firm. He is a nationally-known educator and very popular lecturer because he has been professional genealogical and historical researcher for more than twenty-five years. Although an authority on many research topics, he specializes in the records of the National Archives, especially those that relate to the military. He is past director and treasurer of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), coordinator of the Advanced Military Course at Samford University (IGHR) and teacher in the Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis course, the Writing and Publishing for Genealogists course and the Virginia Course. He also coordinates the American Military track for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). Craig is the current custodian of the Association of One-Name Studies and was the Clan Scott Genealogist (1985 - 2000). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), a member of the Editorial Board of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and a former board member of the Virginia Genealogical Society and the Maryland Genealogical Society.
  
• Richard Eastman is a well-known technology expert and publisher of the Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter, the most popular online genealogy newsletter in the world. He is always the guy in the room with the coolest electronic toys and keeps the rest of us up-to-date with the ever-changing technology issues that affect family researchers, including digital archives, databases, search engines, scanners, blogs, and podcasts, among many others. Dick is a longstanding member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).
  

The conference schedule also includes opportunities for one-on-one consultations with the speakers, shared meals with professional genealogists, several late-night roundtable chats, and two cocktail parties to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones, among other events.

Although the daily lecture schedule has not yet been published, the presentations will not overlap so, unlike many traditional conferences, you won't have to make difficult choices and miss some of the lectures. Likewise, no lectures or events are scheduled during port time so you'll be free to wander the tropic port towns, go shopping, lounge on the beach, or partake of the many available guided shore excursions in Aruba, Curacao, and Half Moon Cay.

While the hosting company, Wholly Genes, Inc., makes family history software, all of the events and lectures with expert researchers are software-neutral and relevant to every family researcher who wants to improve their skills. Users of The Master Genealogist (TMG) will have the opportunity to hear several additional non-conflicting presentations about how to make the most of that software and its companion products.

Prices begin at just $870 per person (double occupancy), including the 7-night cruise, food, evening entertainment, port fees, taxes, cabin steward service, and all conference events. Bring your family, friends, and fellow researchers. A roommate matching service is available.

Where else can you get group lessons, one-on-one consultations, and elbow-rubbing time with some of the foremost genealogy experts in the world while someone else handles all the food, housekeeping, entertainment, and transportation on an exotic Caribbean vacation? Come prepared to sit back, relax, and enjoy the most educational vacation of your life!

For more details, please see:

http://www.WhollyGenes.com/cruise.htm

The largest family history conference on the seas.

Wholly Genes, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce the 2010 Genealogy Conference and Cruise, September 18-25, 2010. With an impressive list of world-class speakers and as many as 450 researchers, this annual event has earned the reputation as the largest family history conference on the seas and is nearly always sold out. But this year it will truly be an EPIC event.

This year the conference will be held upon the Norwegian Epic, the newest and one of the largest cruise ships in the Caribbean. It is so new, in fact, that its maiden voyage isn't until July. The Epic offers tremendous meeting facilities, dozens of dining options, and an amazing nightlife that includes Blue Man Group, Second City Comedy Troupe, and Cirque Dreams, an acrobatic dinner theater.

Over the course of the week, the ship will travel round-trip from Miami, visiting Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras, plus three days at sea during which the group will hear from a star-studded line-up of genealogical speakers, including:

- Lloyd Bockstruck, the 30-year veteran Supervisor of the Dallas Public Library. Upon his retirement in 2009, he was described as "easily the most sought after lecturer for annual seminars of local and state genealogical societies";

- Dr. Stephen P. Morse, whose long resume includes the development of the "One-Step" web portal, the extremely popular search engine for the Ellis Island databases and dozens of other on-line resources;

- Hank Jones, FASG, noted genealogist, author, popular speaker, singer, songwriter, and former Hollywood actor;

- Megan Smolenyak, professional genealogist, extremely-popular author and speaker on research methodology, DNA, and other topics;

- Craig Scott, CG, certified genealogist, publisher, speaker, and military record expert.

Although Wholly Genes makes family history software, the 15+ hours of genealogical lectures are completely software-neutral and presented by the preeminent experts in their fields. Attendees from around the world will soak up new knowledge and skills through a lecture series that rivals any regional or national genealogy conference. And, unlike many traditional conferences, none of the lecture times overlap so conference-goers won't have to make those difficult choices.

Of course, users of the company’s software, The Master Genealogist (TMG), will also find a variety of opportunities to learn how to make use of its features and companion products from the developers themselves, technical support staff, and expert users. The company’s annual conference is the only time that you will find so many TMG experts in one place.

“We’re very conscious of the economic conditions and go out of our way to make this conference a great value and extremely cost-effective event,” said Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes, Inc., “which in part explains its popularity.” The price of the conference has not substantially increased in five years. “In fact,” said Velke, “with the early-bird discount that expires on March 15th, the starting price is lower than any of our conference/cruises since 2005.”

“The ship this year also includes single cabins so researchers won’t need to have a roommate,” said Velke. Prices include the cruise, food, shipboard entertainment, and attendance to all conference events. A roommate-finding service is also available. Complete details can be found at www.WhollyGenes.com/cruise.htm.

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Contact:

Barbara Grempler, Conference Chair

Wholly Genes, Inc.

barbarag@whollygenes.com

5144 Flowertuft Court

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260 x160

Hosted by Wholly Genes, Inc.

Wholly Genes, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce the 2009 Genealogy Conference and "Land Cruise," 26-30 August 2009.

Prompted by economic conditions, the company has broken from the tradition of its annual conference on a cruise ship and is hosting this year's event in the pastoral setting of an historic hotel in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, about 2 hours west of Washington D.C. This setting provides a very inexpensive venue for the genealogy presentations while its proximity to Washington D.C. offers the opportunity to follow those preparatory lectures with an all-day research trip to the extraordinary research repositories of the nation's capital.

As in previous years, the focus of the conference is on providing first-class genealogical speakers on topics that will interest all researchers. To that end, this years speaker list includes some of the most respected and knowledgeable professional genealogists in the world, including:

- John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. - a popular speaker, prolific author, and expert on research at the Library of Congress, among many other topics.

- Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL - a full-time researcher for 30 years, an expert on the National Archives, military records, and other topics.

- Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG - the Director of the National Institute on Genealogical Research, author, and an expert on research at the DAR Library and National Archives, among other topics.

- Craig Roberts Scott, CG - publisher, professional researcher for more than 23 years, and an expert on a wide variety of record types and resources, including colonial, Civil War, federal records, migration, military, Quaker, and government publications.

The four-day conference will start with a day and a half of lectures about methodology, repositories, records, and finding aids in D.C. (including NARA, the Library of Congress, and the DAR), followed by a full-day research trip to Washington D.C. (the "land cruise" part), and then another day and a half of presentations, among other activities.

The company will also offer a series of presentations about its flagship product, The Master Genealogist (TMG), but, in another break from tradition, those software presentations will be concentrated on the last day of the conference, allowing researchers the choice to register for a three- or four-day conference, according to their interest.

"Our annual conference is very popular so we're happy to be able to continue the tradition with a format that is extremely cost-effective," said Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes, Inc. "We're looking forward to another great opportunity to learn to be better researchers while enjoying the company of others who are doing the same," he said. The event has been sold out for each of the last four years and is limited this year to just 200 attendees so the company expects it to fill up quickly.

At under $400 per person (for double occupancy), including meals and all conference events, the event is less than half the price of last year's conference and a fraction of the cost of a typical genealogy conference. There's even free wireless internet and free parking.

You can find more information about the 2009 Genealogy Conference and "Land Cruise" to Washington D.C. at .

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Contact:

Bob Velke

Wholly Genes, Inc.

bvelke@whollygenes.com

9110 Red Branch Road, STE O

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260 x150

The Master Genealogist v7.0 has been released.

Wholly Genes, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce the release of The Master Genealogist v7.0, the most comprehensive family history software on the market. For more than 14 years, The Master Genealogist ("TMG") has been the choice of professional genealogists and casual researchers alike because of its innovative features, extreme flexibility, attention to real-life research issues (like "witnesses" and their secondary roles in events), and support for the highest scholarly standards.

Despite the program's long-standing reputation as "the one that does it all," the new Version 7 incorporates more than 50 exciting new features. The program continues to innovate with features like a new "Associates Window" which lists in one place all of the people connected to the focus person (e.g., as witnesses to the same events), customizable pop-up reminders which encourage consistent data entry, and the ability to make color "highlights" or annotations on scanned images. The image highlighting actually happens on a transparent layer above the image so the original image isn't modified -- an important characteristic to family researchers.

A variety of powerful new features to control sentence output supplement those which, in previous versions, have helped researchers win awards for their published narratives. Among other enhancements, it is now easier to generate sentences which span more than one event (e.g., "He died in Tazewell, Virginia and was buried three days later in the town cemetery") with mid-sentence source citations. A real-time sentence preview now also makes it easier to see the effect of customizing those sentences.

"We're sure that researchers will appreciate the powerful new features in this release because they helped to design them," said Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes Software. "Many of TMG's best features started with suggestions from users," said Velke, "and Version 7 is no exception." As examples of popular features that are already in that category, he cited the program's GenBridge direct-import technology, integrated historical timelines, customizable screen layouts, and the display of names in different colors to represent user-defined characteristics (e.g., red for people who were born in Tennessee and green for those who were born in Virginia).

Other new features in Version 7 include multi-level sorts, relationship calculation through spouses (e.g., wife of his third cousin), the ability to share your source list and output templates with other researchers through import/export, and the ability to check for duplicates while adding new people. A number of new filtering and reporting options are expected to be very popular and a long list of interface changes make the program easier to use, especially for novice researchers.

The Master Genealogist v7.0 is native to Windows Vista but is also designed for Windows 2000 or XP. More information is available from .

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Contact:

Elizabeth Vinci

marketing@whollygenes.com

9110 Red Branch Road, STE O

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260 x132

###

ANNOUNCING THE 4TH ANNUAL GENEALOGY CONFERENCE AND CRUISE

The largest family history conference on the seas.

Wholly Genes, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce the 2008 Genealogy Conference and Cruise, October 26-November 2, 2008. This extremely popular annual event has a reputation for its unrivaled speaker list, exceeding even that of most land-based family history conferences. Like the three years before it, this is expected to be a sold-out event.

In 2008, eleven of the most prominent professional genealogists and technical experts from the U.S., England, and Ireland will share their experience and advice with several hundred family researchers while sailing to the tropical islands of the Caribbean. This year's event will include at least 16 hours of expert presentations on genealogy methodology and tools (without a focus on any particular software) and will use a schedule of non-conflicting lecture times so attendees can make the most of this unprecedented educational opportunity.

Attendees will also have the rare chance to schedule private one-on-one consultations, to share a casual meal, or to attend other social events with the speakers, many of whom are giants in the genealogy community:

- Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, longtime editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.

- Barbara Vines Little, CG, former president of the National Genealogical Society and Virginia Genealogical Society.

- John Grenham, Ireland's foremost genealogist.

- John Titford, LHG FSG, prominent British genealogist and popular author.

- Craig Scott, MA, CG, certified genealogist and military record expert.

- Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, professional genealogist and popular author.

- Cyndi Howells of Cyndislist.com, an expert at online resources.

- Tony Burroughs, FUGA, popular genealogical author, teacher, and lecturer.

Although not providing lectures, the following additional speakers will host breakfasts and private consultations:

- Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, Director of the Great Migration Study Project for NEHGS.

- Sandra Hewlett, CG, professional researcher and councilor for the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

- Dick Eastman, technology expert and editor of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

In addition to attending the main lectures, users of The Master Genealogist (TMG) project manager will find a variety of presentations about how to make the most of that software and its companion programs. Attendees will meet Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes, Inc., and be able to schedule private consultations with him and many other prominent researchers in the TMG community, including John Cardinal, Lee Hoffman, Jim Byram, and members of the TMG support team.

Planned cocktail parties and other events will give attendees the chance to mingle with other group members, swap research interests, and make new friends. An attendee from North Carolina remembers the last such event as a "wonderful way to vacation, meet new friends with similar interests, and learn a lot in the bargain!"

The 2008 conference will be held on the majestic Caribbean Princess as it sails from New York City to the exotic ports of St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Traveling companions who aren't interested in the lectures might want to relax with a book on a private balcony or take advantage of the many shipboard features, including pools, saunas, exercise equipment, jogging track, golf simulator, putting green, racket games, Internet cafe, and a large casino. The lecture schedule leaves family and friends to spend evenings together for a quiet dinner or to enjoy live shipboard entertainment, night-clubs, and even an outdoor movie theater under the stars. Four tropical ports and optional guided shore excursions will round out a truly memorable vacation.

"A cruise ship makes a relaxing environment in which to learn from the experts and improve our research skills," said Velke. He added, "However, not many educational opportunities also include the ability to spend quality time with family and friends on tropical islands. We are very pleased that so many people have enjoyed this format in past years and we are looking forward to another great event."

Prices for the week-long 2008 Genealogy Conference and Cruise start at about $843 per person (inside cabin, double occupancy) and include the cruise, food, shipboard entertainment, and attendance to all conference events. A roommate-finding service is also available. Complete details can be found at www.WhollyGenes.com/cruise.htm.

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Contact:

Barbara Grempler, Conference Chair

Wholly Genes, Inc.

barbarag@whollygenes.com

9110 Red Branch Road, STE O

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260 x160

###

Announcing the 3rd Annual Genealogy Conference and Cruise.

The largest family history conference on the seas.

Wholly Genes, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is proud to announce the 2007 Genealogy Conference and Cruise, October 28-November 4, 2007. This annual event attracts more than 400 family researchers who learn about research methods, tools, and techniques from some of the foremost experts in those fields.

This year’s conference will be held on the elegant Caribbean Princess as it cruises the Eastern Caribbean. Between educational lectures, the group will enjoy relaxing vacations at the tropical ports of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Princess Cays, Bahamas.

This conference on the sea has a reputation for hosting an all-star lineup of lecturers that rivals many national and regional conferences. This year’s event is no exception, offering an unprecedented schedule of ten principal speakers, including some of the most prominent professional genealogists and technology experts from the United States, England, and Ireland:

- John Grenham, Ireland's foremost genealogist.

- John Titford, LHG FSG, prominent British genealogist and popular author.

- Dick Eastman, technology expert and editor of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

- Hank Jones , FASG, actor, author, professional genealogist, and popular speaker.

- Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, professional genealogist and popular author.

- Cyndi Howells of Cyndislist.com, an expert at online resources.

- Sandra Hewlett, CG, professional researcher and councilor for the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

- Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, Director of the Great Migration Study Project for NEHGS.

- Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, CGL, FUGA, FASG, President of the American Society of Genealogists.

- Tony Burroughs, FUGA, popular genealogical author, teacher, and lecturer.

A variety of other software seminars will be offered for attendees who use The Master Genealogist (TMG) and its companion programs. Those lecturers include Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes, Inc., as well as John Cardinal, Lee Hoffman, and other experts whose names are well known to the TMG community.

In addition to other special events, conference attendees will have the opportunity to share a meal with a speaker in a small group setting or to get a private one-on-one consultation.

“A cruise ship makes a relaxing environment in which to learn from the experts and improve our research skills,” said Velke. He added, “However, not many educational opportunities also include the ability to spend quality time with family and friends on tropical islands. We are very pleased that so many people have enjoyed this format in past years and we are looking forward to another great event.”

Prices for the week-long 2007 Genealogy Conference and Cruise start at just $848 per person (inside cabin, double occupancy) and include the cruise, food, shipboard entertainment, and attendance to all conference events. Complete details can be found at www.WhollyGenes.com/cruise.htm.

About the company:

Wholly Genes Software is a privately held corporation founded in 1993 with the goal of providing professional caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 30 countries around the world.

Contact:

Barbara Grempler, Conference Chair

Wholly Genes, Inc.

barbarag@whollygenes.com

9110 Red Branch Road, STE O

Columbia, Maryland 21044

410-715-2260 x160

###

Family Tree Companion Software Updated

Columbia, Maryland -- 17 December 2006 -- Wholly Genes Software is proud to announce the release of Family Tree SuperTools v2.0. This long-awaited update to this popular program provides many add-on features for users of the most common family history programs.

Family Tree SuperTools offers superior wall charting functions, advanced project management tools, timelines, multimedia slideshows, web searching, and a variety of other features for users of Family Tree Maker™, Personal Ancestral File™, Legacy™, Generations™, and other programs.

Family Tree SuperTools uses GenBridge™ technology to read data directly from those programs, avoiding the many problems commonly associated with GEDCOM transfers. After making data changes in his/her family tree program, the researcher merely clicks on Refresh to bring the Family Tree SuperTools database up-to-date.

Researchers upgrading from Version 1 will find updated import modules for the latest version of those family tree programs, plus a new interface and an updated version of the charting utility, Visual Chartform. New charting features include hourglass charts, “fancy frames”, more control over formatting fan charts, and support for charts in other languages. Other new features include a redesigned Focus Group window, GenSmarts integration (requires a separate purchase of GenSmarts), and an option to click to generate a map or find information about a selected place. A new “Query-By-Example” window provides a shortcut for the most common types of searches while also teaching the user how to capitalize on the extremely powerful filtering functions in Family Tree SuperTools.

An integrated chart printing service also allows users to click to upload their chart to be printed on a professional large-format color printer. This inexpensive service then ships the chart to the researcher in a protective tube, ready for framing.

A new "UK Edition" is also now available and includes timelines from the United Kingdom, support for UK-style drop charts, and an interface which honors British spellings.

“Family Tree SuperTools is the little brother of our premier project manager, The Master Genealogist,” said Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes Software. The Master Genealogist (TMG) is widely regarded as the most powerful family tree program on the market and is favored by many professional researchers. Family Tree SuperTools puts many of those same features in the hands of researchers who prefer to continue to use another program for data entry.

Family Tree SuperTools v2.0 is $17.95 and is available as a download. The v2.0 upgrade is $5.00 or is free for those who have purchased the program within the last 90 days. Add $2.00 plus shipping for a CD-ROM to be shipped in the mail.

For more information about Family Tree SuperTools, please visit www.WhollyGenes.com/supertools.htm

About the company: Wholly Genes Software was founded in 1991 to provide professional-caliber software tools to family historians. Its flagship product, The Master Genealogist, is among the highest rated family history project managers and is in use in more than 40 countries around the world.

Family Tree SuperTools, The Master Genealogist, GenBridge, and Visual Chartform are trademarks of Wholly Genes, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Contact:

Lynn Baker, Marketing Manager

Wholly Genes Software

Voice: (410)715-2260 x150

Fax: (410)730-9734

marketing@WhollyGenes.com

-END-

New tools for Researchers of Early New England Families

Columbia, Maryland -- 20 August 2006 -- Archive CD Books USA is proud to announce a major new collection of digitized books for researchers of early New England families.

For the first time, the Compendium of New England Pioneers makes all of the classic genealogical dictionaries of New England available on a single CD. The collection encompasses 14 books (22 volumes), nearly 8300 pages, and thousands of families of early New England settlers through several generations.

The titles in this collection were assembled in consultation with Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, an authority on New England research, and are so recognizable to experienced researchers that they are often simply referred to by the last name of the author. They include classic works by Eliot, Farmer, Hinman, Goodwin, Drake, Savage, Austin, Pope (2), Holmes, Flagg, Noyes, Bolton, and Spencer.

Anderson said, “The broad genealogical surveys collected here comprise the best colony-wide resources for the study of 17th-century New England families. As such, they constitute the resource of first resort for building the framework of Great Migration sketches.” Anderson is the Director of the Great Migration Study Project for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, editor of the Great Migration Newsletter, co-editor of The American Genealogist, and Genealogical Consultant for Archive CD Books USA.

“Our CDs combine high-quality images of every page that was originally published with the ability to do powerful full-text searching, including AND, OR, phrase, and proximity searches,” said Bob Velke, President of Archive CD Books USA. “For the first time, we’ve also included special indexing technology that will allow researchers to conduct very fast searches across all of these books at the same time,” said Velke.

“Many of the individual titles have been very popular on our web store,” said Velke, “and we haven’t forgotten those loyal customers.” The Compendium is priced at just $89.95 which is 66% off the combined regular prices of those individual books. Those who have bought one or more of the individual titles have been extended full credit for those purchases when upgrading to the Compendium.

Advance orders will be shipping soon but the Compendium of New England Pioneers will make its public debut at the Federation of Genealogy Societies and New England Historic Genealogical Society conference in Boston, Mass., August 30 - September 2, 2006.

For details about the Compendium of New England Pioneers, please visit http://www.ArchiveCDBooksUSA.com/nepioneers.htm.

About the company: Archive CD Books USA was founded in 2005 in order to make digital reproductions of old books available to family historians, to donate original publications to libraries and other institutions, and to cooperate with these repositories to preserve their existing collections for future generations. It is a member of the international Archive CD Books Project whose other affiliated companies digitize books from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.

Contact:

Barbara Grempler, Project Manager

Archive CD Books USA

Voice: (410)715-2260 x160

Fax: (410)730-9734

barbarag@ArchiveCDBooksUSA.com

-END-

Duplicate full-color CDs for just $1.00 each

For several years, Wholly Genes Software, the maker of The Master Genealogist (TMG) and other power tools for family historians, has provided extremely low-cost CD and DVD duplication services to other vendors in the genealogy community. In response to popular request, we’re now making the service available to researchers who have short-run duplication needs, such as when planning to distribute CDs at a family reunion.

CD duplication in small quantities is usually very expensive. While some low-cost reproduction and printing equipment is designed for the home user, it is usually slow, prints in only black & white, and/or requires affixing a label to the CD.

Wholly Genes Software and its sister company, Archive CD Books USA, use professional duplication equipment to manufacture their CD products on demand. This reduces inventory costs, maximizes quality control, and ensures that each customer receives the most up-to-date content. The process involves sophisticated robotic equipment, multiple simultaneous CD burners, and integrated printing of full-color artwork directly on the face of the CD (i.e., not a label).

Family historians are increasingly discovering that it is easy and convenient to share the results of their research with family members by distributing a CD-ROM. Slideshow software and programs like Second Site (the popular utility by John Cardinal for TMG users) produce interactive CDs that make family history informative and fun for children and adults alike.

Now researchers with such short-run duplication needs have access to our professional reproduction equipment for as little as $1.00 per CD (or $2.50 per DVD) plus shipping. A minimum quantity of 20 is required. Finished disks are delivered in bulk on a spindle or in paper sleeves for an additional cost. A design service is also available for those who don’t have CD artwork in JPG or other supported format.

For more information, including a video of the robotic reproduction process, please visit:

http://www.WhollyGenes.com/duplication.htm

Hosted by Wholly Genes Software

You're invited to join us on a grand adventure, an educational experience, and a fun-filled voyage through the Mexican Riviera while we learn about genealogical research methods, tools, and technologies from some of the most popular speakers and authorities in those fields. Last year's event was sold out in less than 2 weeks and the conference and cruise were a great success!

Again this year, we are proud to offer a first-class lineup of speakers and at least 12 hours of lectures on a wide variety of topics that are relevent to every family history researcher. Users of The Master Genealogist (TMG) (or other interested researchers) will have access to at least an additional 8 hours of instruction that is specific to that software and its companion products.

Best of all, the conference will be conducted on a 7-night cruise which visits such exotic Mexican ports of call as Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. All lectures are scheduled while the ship is at sea so that you can spend the days at port relaxing on exotic beaches, visiting Mayan ruins, snorkling, swimming with the dolphins, or participating in any number of other optional guided shore excursions.

What better environment could there be to enhance your research skills while soaking up the sun and enjoying a relaxing week-long vacation?

Scheduled speakers and presentations include:

Robert Charles Anderson, FASG

Director of the Great Migration Study Project

"Transatlantic Migration" (1 hr)

"Before There Were Counties There Were Colonies" (1 hr)

Tony Burroughs, FUGA

Popular genealogical author, teacher, and lecturer

"Digital Video" (1 hr)

"Navigating the National Archives" (1 hr)

Dick Eastman

of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

"Genealogy Searches on Google" (1 hr)

"The Latest Technology for Genealogists" (1 hr)

Hank Jones, FASG

Actor, author, professional genealogist, and popular speaker

"When the Sources are Wrong!" (1 hr)

"I Don't Chase Dead Germans- They Chase Me!" (1 hr)

Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, CGL, FUGA, FASG

President of the American Society of Genealogists

"The Critical Connection: Finding Ancestors Between the 1850 census

and the Colonial Period." (1 hr)

"Pearls I Have Discovered in Thirty-eight years of Searching for the Missing." (1 hr)

Megan Smolenyak

Genealogist, author and consultant

"Trace Your Roots with DNA" (1 hr)

"Find That Obituary! Online Newspaper Research" (1 hr)

By popular demand, there will be an encore presentation by Dick Pence, the computer genealogy pioneer, who will entertain us with ""Two Longs and a Short and Other Tales of the Old West."

Bob Velke, President of Wholly Genes Software, will conduct several workshops about The Master Genealogist (TMG) that are geared to users of different skill levels. Other expert users and leaders in the TMG community will also be participating, including:

- John Cardinal, author of Second Site and TMG Utility

- Jim Byram, expert TMG user and beta tester

- Lee Hoffman, editor of "Getting the Most Out of The Master Genealogist"

- Kent Riggins, developer of TMG's charting tools

- Tim Cook, expert TMG user and beta tester

- Dorothy Turner, Senior Technical Support Representative at Wholly Genes Software

- Barbara Grempler, expert TMG user and Project Manager at Archive CD Books USA

Most speakers will also be available for scheduled private consultations ("One-on-Ones") and will host one or more casual breakfasts with small groups. This is a great opportunity to get personalized advice and rub elbows with a long list of professional genealogists and expert software users.

There will be door prizes and other surprises too!

And at prices starting at just $825 per person (including lodging, food, port fees and taxes, and attendance to all conference lectures), it will probably cost less than a week at your local Holiday Inn -- but it will be much more fun! Space is limited so don't delay in making your reservation.

For complete details about the speakers, lectures, ship, itinerary, and cabin pricing, please visit:

http://www.WhollyGenes.com

Today marks the beginning of an exciting new development for Wholly Genes customers and researchers around the world. The press release below describes the formation of Archive CD Books USA, a new company that focuses on making old and rare research books available to you in digital format. Archive CD Books is a longstanding and well-respected international digitizing project with affiliates in Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. As President of the new U.S. partner company, I am happy to be involved in such an important project; preserving old books and putting that material into the hands of the entire research community. I'm writing to you now, however, to describe how I believe this new company will affect you through new benefits and special opportunities for Wholly Genes customers.

Longtime users of The Master Genealogist will remember our previous relationship with Ancestry.com through which we offered a variety of digital resources to Wholly Genes customers, including an extra CD with a variety of free titles that were bundled with TMG. That relationship came to an end when Ancestry.com merged with another company and became the publisher of its own family history project manager (Family Tree Maker). Since that time, we've looked for new ways to fullfill TMG users' requests for original genealogical research materials in digital format.

Starting with v6, we began bundling TMG (CD-ROM version) with a free copy of "The Universal British Directory of Great Britain 1791" from the Archive CD Books project. The success of that relationship laid the foundation for the U.S. partner company. Through my involvement in both companies, you can expect to have access to even more great digital research tools in the coming months, including special discounts and exclusive offers for TMG users. You will also see new integrated features in future releases of TMG that will capitalize on the relationship with Archive CD Books USA.

Although Wholly Genes Software and Archive CD Books USA are independent companies, they are housed together in our new expanded office in Columbia, Maryland. This proximity gives both companies increased cost-effectiveness through shared access to some very expensive commercial equipment (CD duplicators, color printers, scanners, etc.). It will also serve to improve the efficiency of shared administrative services, including its sales, technical support, bookkeeping, and shipping departments.

To accommodate our growth, we've also made a number of personnel additions and changes. As reflected in the press release, I am thrilled to welcome Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, to the Archive CD Books USA team as Genealogical Consultant. Barbara Grempler from Wholly Genes Technical Support has been promoted to Project Manager for Archive CD Books USA and she is joined by a new staff of six who are responsible for scanning and digitizing the rare books. Barbara's spot in Tech Support was recently filled by Phil DeSilva, a very capable and experienced TMG user. Dorothy Turner still heads the Tech Support Department, ensuring that you continue to receive the excellent support to which you are accustomed. Lynda Waters is now the bookkeeper for both companies and we are in search of a new Shipping Manager to round out the expansion.

Whew! And, oh yeah, we just hosted a genealogy conference for 450 people on a cruise ship...

With all of the buzzing of activity around them, our software developers and hard-working beta testers have managed to release _six_ free TMG updates in the last four months and we've got a number of new and exciting development projects in the works. So stay tuned for many great new things from Wholly Genes Software and Archive CD Books USA!

Right now, I invite you to support us by shopping for Christmas presents (or use our new "Wish List" feature and nudge your spouse in that direction !) at the new company's web site at http://www.ArchiveCDBooksUSA.com, where you'll find thousands of existing data CDs from our partner companies, plus the first few releases from Archive CD Books USA. If you want to be kept informed about new digitized products as they are released on CD from Archive CD Books USA, then please be sure to subscribe to its separate newsletter from that site.

Cheers!

Bob Velke

President

Wholly Genes Software

and Archive CD Books USA

=== Press Release: Archive CD Books USA =============

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Bob Velke

Archive CD Books USA

9110 Red Branch Road, Suite “O”

Columbia, Maryland 21045

(410) 715-2260 x150

http://www.archivecdbooksusa.com

bvelke@archivecdbooksusa.com

Family History Archiving Project Expands to the United States

Columbia, Maryland – 24 November 2005 - The international Archive CD Books Project today announced its expansion and renewed focus on family history resources within the United States with the debut of a new partner company, Archive CD Books USA (www.ArchiveCDBooksUSA.com).

The project makes digital reproductions of old family history resources available to the public, donates original publications to libraries and other institutions, and cooperates with those repositories to preserve their existing collections for future generations. Its uncommon focus on book preservation has led to cooperative relationships with some of the most important repositories of family history records in the world, including Trinity College in Ireland and The National Archives of England and Wales.

Many organized efforts to digitize old books result in the destruction of the original so that its loose pages can be fed through high-speed scanners. But the idea of cutting off an old leather binding is unthinkable to historians and book lovers. "The Archive CD Books project focuses on giving the public access to these fragile resources, some of which are more than 400 years old, while protecting the original so that it is still available to scholars in another 400 years," said Rod Neep, who founded the project in the UK in 2000.

In recent years, the popularity of the project has led to the opening of branch offices in Ireland, Australia, and Canada. “The new U.S. affiliate is key to our goal of making these family history resources accessible to researchers around the world,” said Neep. “After a false start under different management in 2003, the new U.S. partner company brings respected leadership and renewed focus on the priorities of American researchers,” he said.

The principal of the new Archive CD Books USA is Bob Velke, who also founded Wholly Genes Software in 1991. That company’s cornerstone software product, The Master Genealogist, has earned a reputation as the most powerful family history project manager on the market and is preferred by experienced researchers in more than 40 countries around the world.

Archive CD Books USA also benefits from the experience and reputation of Robert Charles Anderson, one of the pre-eminent genealogists in the United States. Anderson is a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists and is the Director of the Great Migration Study Project for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, editor of the Great Migration Newsletter, and co-editor of The American Genealogist. He serves as Genealogical Consultant to the new company.

“Like others in the genealogical community,” said Velke, “we are passionate about old books. But some of the most valuable resources are held in protective custody and out of reach of researchers. By cooperating with libraries, societies, and other book lovers and by applying professional digitizing and preservation techniques, we are very pleased to help put that material back in circulation and into the hands of family history researchers who need them.”

In addition to the thousands of digitized rare books which it makes available from its partner companies, Archive CD Books USA has already accumulated nearly a thousand rare books of its own through purchases, gifts, and promised loans to the project. One of the company’s debut products is a digital version of “A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England” by James Savage, which was originally published in 1860 and is now offered for just $9.95 on CD-ROM. “Even a hundred and forty years after publication,” said Anderson, “Savage's four-volume set remains the starting point for most research problems in seventeenth-century New England. No other single source covers the first century of New England settlement so broadly.” Even experienced researchers would benefit from the full-text search that is supported by the digitized version of this important work. It reveals thousands of embedded references to people and places that are lost to those who rely on the book’s simple alphabetical list of surname headings.

The company web site (www.ArchiveCDBooksUSA.com) offers a free newsletter for those who want to be notified of special offers and the release of new titles. Dealer inquiries are also encouraged.

For information: http://www.archivecdbooksusa.com

Contact: bvelke@archivecdbooksusa.com

Phone: 410-715-2260 x150

Working with the developer of the forum software, we have also identified and repaired the security hole. You may notice some changes and some areas in the forum that still need to be tweaked as a result of the software upgrade.

Unfortunately, the deleted messages in the public “Support Forums” have not been recovered. By design, those topics have a short lifespan and the messages are automatically deleted from the forum anyway after a period of time. For that reason, they were not backed up on as regular a basis.

We emphasize that the main web site and the web store were never at risk. The unauthorized access was limited to these discussion forums. As a precaution against misuse of your forum account, you may want to click on “My Controls” near the top right and then use the “Change password” option on the left side of the screen.

We apologize for the loss of the support messages but we trust that, like us, you won’t let the efforts of a single malicious user disrupt the valuable user community that we have all built here. If you were involved in an ongoing discussion, we invite you to post another message and we will carry on as usual, working with each other to make the most out of our genealogical software tools.

Thank you,

Bob Velke

President

Wholly Genes Software

The newest version of The Master Genealogist includes a long list of exciting new features that were requested by our users. TMG v6 now includes even more tools to help you to find your ancestors, record their data, search and navigate the program, and produce professional reports. Following is a list of the major new features in TMG v6.

For screen shots of some of these new features, please visit:

http://www.whollygenes.com/tmgnew6.htm

A NEW LOOK

Toolbars now optionally support large buttons with descriptive text. Right-click on any toolbar to change the button size. The Standard Layouts have been redesigned with these new toolbar buttons in mind.

NEW MULTIMEDIA FEATURES

- New support for GIF images and other formats.

- Box charts (Visual Chartform) now support all image formats supported by TMG.

- Link exhibits directly to places!

- Link exhibits directly to citations!

- Exhibits now have a separate Caption field.

NEW QUERY BY EXAMPLE

The handy new Query By Example tab is a shortcut for creating simple filters on the Picklist, Project Explorer, or List of People report. Don't bother with building filter conditions. Simply fill in the blanks and click on to filter the list.

But that's just the beginning! You can use the Query By Example screen to learn how to use TMG's more powerful filtering features.

After entering some search criteria, click on the Filter tab to see how you can represent the same conditions using a filter. Then you can further customize the filter, add other conditions, etc.

It is not just an alternative to filters. It is a great way to learn how to use some of TMG's most powerful features, including filter operators, AND/OR connectors, parentheses, etc.

NEW DNA LOG

DNA testing is getting more popular and it is destined to be one of the family historian's most valuable tools.

The new DNA Log lets you record the results of DNA tests for the people in your project. You can keep track of multiple tests for each person, including the laboratory results, your own comments, and links to web sites that explain the tests.

TMG v6 supports a variety of current DNA fingerprint tests from popular laboratories and can be expanded to support other tests and laboratories using a powerful template system.

REDESIGNED FOCUS GROUP WINDOW

The Focus Group window has been redesigned to meet the suggestions of users. Among other new features, you can now:

- Control the number of generations to add for ancestors and descendants.

- Add ancestors, descendants, spouses, and name variations all at once.

- Click to Select All.

- Use the Delete key to remove members.

- See the number of names and the number of selected names in the group.

- Sort members by surname, given name, or ID number.

- Export members to an existing group.

NEW DATA ENTRY TOOLS

- A new Witness Memo field. Now you can have a separate memo for each witness. The contents can be referenced by the new witness sentence variables [WM], [WM1]...[WM9].

- A new Citation Memo field is designed to hold comments, rationale, etc., that is separate from Citation Detail and is not necessarily intended to be output. However, it can be referenced by the new source template variables [CM], [CM1]...[CM9].

- Source output can now include the contents of the repository memo. The source template can refer to [REPOSITORY MEMO], [REPOSITORY MEMO1]...[REPOSITORY MEMO9]. Shorter versions of the same variables, [RM], [RM1]...[RM9], are also supported.

- All memo fields now show formatted text (bold, italics, underline, etc.), rather than codes for those functions. Real clickable web links and email links are now supported in memos.

NEW NAVIGATION/DISPLAY FEATURES

- The Tag Box supports new optional columns for witnesses, exhibits, and tasks.

- New buttons on the Tree View allow moving upward one generation at a time.

- The Person View now shows the primary parent relationship type (e.g., "Father-Ado") if it is not Bio.

- The right click menu allows you to show/hide child tags.

NEW CHARTING OPTIONS

- The left-to-right version of the Descendant Box Chart has a new "Waterfall" option.

- The Ancestor Box Chart has a new option for "Overlapping generations."

- 25 new fancy frames are now included.

- Box charts now include an option to output the chart (tab type labels, months, etc.) in another language.

- Control the width of curved text generations on fan charts.

- Control the size of the first generation circle on a fan chart.

NEW REPORTING FEATURES

- Print a blank Family Group Sheet.

- Print spouse events on the Journal report for children who are not carried forward.

- Control the number of copies of a report to print.

- Specify the number of the first page.

- Control the print page range.

- Specify whether to include leading zeros on dates (e.g., 09 Sep 1942).

NEW CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

- Specify your preferred output file types. Unselected file formats will not appear on the Report Definition Screen, in order to keep the list to a manageable size.

- Specify a default name or place style for each tag type.

- Optionally suppress the prompt to change the Last Edited date after writing to flags with secondary output.

- Click to for the Auto-Relationship tag.

- Add spacers between buttons on the Custom Toolbar.

GENSMARTS INTEGRATION

GenSmarts™ analyzes your research data and provides advice about how to fill the holes in your research. It makes detailed suggestions about what records to search, where, and why.

GenSmarts users can now access this popular research advisor directly from within TMG. (Requires a separate purchase of GenSmarts.)

Now you can simply access TMG's Tools menu and choose "Research suggestions from GenSmarts." TMG will leverage the power of GenSmarts to produce a list of research suggestions for the focus person. The complete explanation for each GenSmarts suggestion is also included.

If the data is available online, then you can just click to access it.

You can even select one or more GenSmarts suggestions and convert them into TMG research tasks with one click. When you are ready for a research trip, you can generate a List of Tasks report.

And you can do it all without ever leaving TMG!

OTHER NEW FEATURES

- New smart place searching allows matching on partial place names.

For instance, a search for

Birth Place Contains Elizabethton, Tennessee

will find a birth in:

Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee

- Soundex calculator. It produces a "standard" Soundex code plus a variety of other suggestions based on common Soundex errors. Daitch-Mokotoff coding is also supported.

- Edit State/Province Abbreviations.

- Edit a role name.

- Control the sequence of roles. That sequence is honored on the Tag Entry Screen.

- Control the sequence of witnesses. The sequence is honored in reports.

- Control the sequence of citations. The sequence is honored in reports.

- Control the sequence of bookmarks on the Bookmark Manager.

- The Relationship Calculator now produces sorted results.

- Reports generated in other languages now honor the translated tag labels, past tense and tag abbreviation fields as defined on the Tag Type Definition screen, rather than doing automated translations that are out of the user's control.

- Import tag type translations (for the label, past tense, abbreviation, and default sentences) from another project.

- Various improvements have been made to GEDCOM export and direct import from Generations™, Family Origins™, Legacy™, and Family Tree Maker™.

OTHER FIXES/CHANGES:

The v6 upgrade includes fixes to bugs that were reported by users, including:

- Backup now backs up timelines based on the default program timeline path, rather than based on the Preferences timeline path.

- Fixed a possible UK Style box chart overwrapping line problem.

- Fixed a problem of canceling the untabbed Tag Entry screen.

- Fixed an issue where the style could be lost when saving the Place Edit screen.

- The fields on the Global Search and Replace form and the MPL now use labels from the default place style, as defined on the Data Set Manager.

- The Gendex site has been removed from Web search feature.

- Corrected an issue of some audio and video exhibits not playing in the Exhibit Log and Slideshows.

- Fixed an issue where the Automatic Relation Tag would not always select the most direct relationship.

- Fixed some other issues related to translated report output.

- Fixed a variety of more obscure bugs that were reported by users.

SPECIAL CD BONUS

The upgrade can be obtained by download but those who order the CD-ROM will also receive a free electronic copy of "The Universal British Directory of Great Britain 1791" from Archive CD Books on the same disk (a $65 value!).

Digitized from five huge volumes, this is the earliest directory for Great Britain and is among the most important resources for those researching ancestors in the United Kingdom.

It includes excellent descriptions of towns and villages of the time and those residents with trades (even farmers, hay-binders, labourers, bakers, shop keepers, etc.) and their addresses.

Although titled "Great Britain," this directory covers places in England and Wales. Volume 1 is devoted to London, volumes 2 to 4 cover the places in England and Wales in alphabetical order, and vol 5 contains a number of the subsequent amendments that were published in the next few years.