There were several new genealogy software program versions introduced at last week's FGS conference - including Legacy 6, RootsMagic 3 and Family Tree Maker 2006 - as well as a number of other exciting genealogy-related services and products.

• The long-awaited Legacy Family Tree version 6.0 was introduced at the conference, including both a free and deluxe version. Bruce Buzbee also released a new and improved version of his software - RootsMagic 3.0. Although officially available a few weeks before the conference, Family Tree Maker 2006 was also available at the conference.
  
  
• George Morgan and Drew Smith, two well-know genealogy authors and lecturers have begun "The Genealogy Guys Podcast." This weekly, 30-minute genealogy discussion can be downloaded in audio format to listen to it on your computer or MP3 player.
  
  
• "New York State Censuses & Substitutes" by Bill Dollarhide was a very hot seller at the Heritage Creations' booth.
  
  
• A new interative genealogy service - Family History Live Online - offers several different online classes and sessions for learning how to research your family history. Most of their classes follow a 7-step research cycle developed by the company's founders, Tex and Lynne Crawford. The classes are conducted over the internet, and include the ability to speak with and ask questions of the instructor.
  
  
• A new program by The Jefferson Project helps you turn your collected family photos, data and memories into an interactive multimedia presentation and save it in CD or DVD format. Passage Express can be used to create slideshows and documentaries complete with background music and narration, organize and document photographs with face labels, captions and dates, and publish your genealogy data, video clips, audio recordings and other family history tools.

Big announcements from FamilySearch have been covered earlier in this blog, as was the formation of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. For more news, announcements, and products from the FGS Conference, check out Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter from genealogist Dick Eastman.