Now you can do more than find friends on line, you can use your DNA to find distant relatives.

Ancestry.com has launched its new AncestryDNA which allows subscribers to submit DNA tests to help track their family roots.

The test looks at more than 700,000 genetic markers which can be compared to those of other folks in a world-wide database.

Ancestry.com says it allows people to find out more about their ethnic backgrounds and may help people find distant cousins who could hold the keys to their family history.

“We’ve worked hard at Ancestry.com for more than a year building, testing, and reinventing our approach to genetic genealogy,” said Tim Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com. “We think AncestryDNA has created a unique and engaging experience that will provide existing Ancestry.com subscribers with an entirely new way to make amazing discoveries about their family history.  We are excited to be making AncestryDNA available to loyal Ancestry.com subscribers first…but we look forward to eventually opening up this service to everyone.  We think it will allow us to extend our mission to help people discover, preserve, and share their family history to an even greater audience.”

The current version of the test includes 22 worldwide geographical and ethnic categories, including six regions in Europe, five regions in Africa, and Native American.

“We think the newest DNA technology will dramatically change family history research. For the experienced genealogist it will help break down brick walls and for the casual family historian it will make it easier than ever to get started,” said Ken Chahine, Ph.D., J.D. Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ancestry.com DNA, LLC. “While the science is cutting edge, the new online experience is simpler and more intuitive than ever before. We’ve already had overwhelming response and positive feedback from beta users as they discover relatives and uncover the treasures their ancestors passed down through DNA.  DNA picks up where the paper trail leaves off. Genomic science can extend family history research into parts of the world where few paper records are available.”

AncestryDNA will initially be made available by invitation-only to Ancestry.com subscribers for $99, with the expectation that the service will be made available to the general public later this year.

Your phone may soon alert you before you run out of milk.

Teehan+Lax labs, based in Canada, is researching what's called physical computing -interactive systems of software and hardware that communicate with the analog world.  In this case, they're seeing how technology can remind you to buy more milk.

They've developed a milk jug that can notify your android phone when supplies are running low.  The app will even show you where the nearest spots are to your current location to buy more milk.

It may seem a little silly, but there are larger implications.  The company says the digital milk reminders are only the beginning.  They want to explore how physical computing can be used to better organize our lives, keeping your cornflakes afloat is only the beginning.

Ferris Bueller would love VGo.  It's a robot that can attend school for you.

VGo is a robot on wheels that provides what the company calls a robotic presence for someone who needs to be in two places at once. It allows the user to see, talk and move around as they would if they were actually at the other location.

The company is already using VGo for students who are sick or disabled and can't attend class.  VGo is designed to be more than a videoconferencing gadget; since it can move around, it allows the student to interact with their classmates and teachers. 

Backers say the robot can be used by doctors who want to check on patients remotely and even by relatives who want to get eyes on family members who are ill.

It's not cheap.  VGo costs up to $7000, plus other fees.

Check out VGo in action in the video below.

You've made preparations to pay off debts, take care of your family and pets, as well as arrangements for the final send-off you hoped to avoid,  now the feds want you to make sure not to forget your digital life...when you die.

It may seem a little silly, but Uncle Sam is worried about what happens to your Facebook and Twitter accounts when you've bought the pine condo.   The government website USA.gov is giving specific instructions on how to handle your "social media will."

The advice includes recommendations that you appoint a "social media executor" and leave instructions on which accounts you want closed and if there are any you hope will live on long after you've hit your expiration date.

Once you've dropped to room temperature, the Feds say your executor should be armed with your user names, passwords and a copy of your death certificate in case some website wants proof that you're really winning one for the Reaper.

There's actually a fairly good reason to be concerned about this stiff stuff, the Federal Trade Commission says there are thousands of cases each year of people whose identities have been stolen after they became "living impaired."  Of course, you won't have to deal with that nightmare, but your survivors...some of whom may actually be grieving...will have to come to grips with any problems if you don't take steps to protect them before you do the great digital demise.