Tech Tip Tuesday - Bookmarks Anywhere

Where was that page again? I know it has happened to you. You are on a different computer than you normally use and you want to go to that site that you bookmarked the other day, but have no idea what the URL was. Sure, you could google the general topic of the site and maybe find it that way, but this does not always work. For example, type tech tips OR even better type the name of my blog (tips from the tech) into Google and see if you can find my site listed. I know I need to work on my SEO.

HINT: Put quotes around my blog name and you will find it as the second listing (how the hell did a pdf of an animal control newsletter get ranked before me?).

In any case, searching for the site you want is just inconvenient. Wouldn't it be easier to just have access to your bookmarks wherever you might be and on whatever computer you are using? Now some of you might already use Google Bookmarks (GB for brevity), but don't stop reading. There is plenty of good information in this tip that you can benefit from even if you already know all about GB.

To benefit from Google bookmarks, you need to have a Google account. Any Google account (Gmail, Blogger, Plus, Docs, etc.) will do since they are all linked. Gmail is a good choice since it is one of the best email service providers out there in my opinion, but take your pick. After you have a Google account you can go here, www.google.com/bookmarks to access and manage your bookmarks from anywhere.

Now if you are new to GB, then there is likely nothing there yet. You can add bookmarks directly on this page by clicking the Add Bookmark link. This is okay, but it's not the best way to bookmark a site. After all, to bookmark a site in your browser, it only requires clicking a bookmark icon or hitting Ctrl-B. Having to go to GB every time you want to save a bookmark is not going to sell you on using this great service. However, never fear. I would not waste my time telling you about it if I did not have an easier way of going about things. Enter the Google Bookmarklet.

The Google Bookmarklet is a small piece of JavaScript that you can use to save sites you visit to GB. This is what the code looks like if you are interested:

javascript:(function(){var a=window,b=document,c=encodeURIComponent,d=a.open("http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&output=popup&bkmk="+c(b.location)+"&title="+c(b.title),"bkmk_popup","left="+((a.screenX||a.screenLeft)+10)+",top="+((a.screenY||a.screenTop)+10)+",height=420px,width=550px,resizable=1,alwaysRaised=1");a.setTimeout(function(){d.focus()},300)})();

"Well, that's just great," you say, "but isn't JavaScript part of a website? How can I use it without yet going to another website?" Well, here is the thing. You can actually save JavaScript as a bookmark! If you already know how to create a bookmark from scratch, then do so and then copy and paste the above code into the URL place for the bookmark and label it Bookmarklet or something. If you don't know how to create a bookmark from scratch, or if you just want an easier way, be sure your Bookmark Bar (Chrome), Bookmark Toolbar (Firefox), or Favorites Bar (Internet Explorer) is set to visible then drag the icon below to it.

This icon should now be sitting in your Bookmarks or Favorites. Now whenever you visit a site that you want to bookmark click this icon. When you do a small window to Google Bookmarks will pop up with the address of the site entered. You can alter any of the information in this window and when you are ready to add it to you bookmarks click the Add Bookmark button. The site will be added to your Google Bookmarks and you can then access them anywhere. You don't have to bookmark GB in your browser and here is why. When you click on the bookmarklet and the window pops up you will notice there is a button in the bottom left-hand corner that says See All Bookmarks. If you click it GB will open in a new tab and you can browse or select the bookmark you want to go to.

"Man, this is just not simple enough," some of you say. Well there is another method of remote accessing your bookmarks. First of all, if you are not using Google Chrome download and install it from here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/. Believe me it's worth it. It's tons faster and more reliable than Internet Explorer and I have found it to be more reliable than Firefox as well, but that's just my experience. In any case, it is definitely worth a try if you haven't used it yet. Once you have Chrome installed go to http://bit.ly/qlbBRo and install The Incredible Start Page. 

The Incredible Start Page (TISP) is . . . well an incredible start page for the Chrome browser. I'm not going to get into all the details of this extension, but I'll show you what it looks like:

Now the part I want to draw your attention to is the big pane with the beautiful cloud picture. This is your main pane and it will house any bookmarks you choose. By default it shows the bookmarks that are on the bookmark bar, but you can change this and perhaps in the future I will explain the ins and outs of this great extension. What I want to say now though is that you can sync the Chrome browser with your Google account and so have uniform access to your bookmarks from any computer that has the Chrome browser. This is especially nice for homes with multiple computers or for syncing between your dektop and your laptop. 

Please note that The Incredible Start Page is not a necessary extension to sync your bookmarks in Chrome. It's just a nice way to display them. If you try this extension out for even a short period I'm certain you'll be hooked. If you choose not to use TISP you can still sync your Chrome bookmarks. Simply click on the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner. Click settings and at the top you will see a place to sign-in to your Google account. Do this on each computer and your bookmarks will automatically sync between them.

And that's it. If you have any questions or comments about bookmarks, leave them in the comments section and I'll get to them shortly.