The latest beta version of Google's Chrome Web browser is making it easier for you to keep track of all your favorite Web sites across multiple computers. The search giant introduced bookmark syncing this week as a feature of Chrome's latest trial version. Google started testing bookmark syncing earlier this year on developer builds of Chrome, and its release on the beta channel means bookmark syncing is one step closer to becoming a standard feature of Chrome's stable version.
[ Which is better: Google Chrome or Internet Explorer 8? The InfoWorld Test Center finds out. ]
Bookmark sync
Once you've downloaded the Chrome beta, you can access the new feature by clicking on the wrench icon on the far right side of your browser window. Then select "Synchronize my bookmarks," and a pop-up window should appear asking you for your Google Account information. Sign in, and Chrome will store your bookmarks in your Google Docs account. To sync your bookmarks across multiple locations, just download the beta version of Chrome on each computer you use, and repeat the steps outlined above.
When you add, delete, or edit your Chrome bookmarks on any device, those changes will be updated across all your computers. You can also add bookmarks from other Web browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer by importing the data into Chrome, and the new additions will be automatically synced with the file in your Google Docs account. Google does not allow you to edit bookmarks directly from Google Docs.
Other alternatives
If Google Chrome is not your thing, but you like the concept of bookmark syncing, you can also get the same functionality on other popular browsers. Internet Explorer users can download the Windows Live Toolbar to store and sync bookmarks with Microsoft's online storage service, SkyDrive.
Firefox users can download the Xmark add-on that allows you to synchronize your bookmarks and passwords. And Opera users can get in on the syncing action through Opera Link, which stores bookmarks, speed dial entries and more. You can also access your Opera Link data within competing browsers at link.opera.com. If you don't want to be tied down to a specific browser brand, try out Delicious, the social online bookmarking site.
Speed
Google says the latest developer build of Chrome is thirty percent faster than the browser's current stable version. Chrome's new speed claims come on the heels of similar statements from Mozilla, which released the beta version of Firefox 3.6 on Friday. Despite the media attention heaped on Chrome since its initial release last year, the browser is still far behind in popularity compared to the two market leaders: Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Check out the video to see Chrome's bookmarks sync in action.
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