Xmarks - Bookmark Sync and Search [Bookmarking]

If you're like me who owns multiple computers (one for work and one for personal use), or if you like surfing the net in public places (internet cafe or library), then you'll find this tool very useful.

Xmarks started out as a Firefox browser addon that allows users to upload their own bookmarks to the Xmarks server, then sync them across different computers. When I bookmark sites and save them as favorites, they're usually stored local on one computer (PC1). If I went to visit them later, I would either have to go back to PC1 or manually export these bookmarks and then import into my other computer (PC2).

Although there are great addons out there that provides ease of exporting/importing bookmarks, this process can be cumbersome over time.

This is where Xmarks shines. Once the addon is installed to the Firefox browser (Xmarks now also support other browsers such as Internet Explorer and Safari), it's very easy to import bookmarks from a local PC to the Xmarks server.

Then, with any other PCs that you wish to visit these bookmarks, simply install the addon and Xmarks will synchronize all your bookmarks together.

If you're concerned that computers at Internet Cafes or Public Libraries would not allow Firefox installation, you can even download a portable version of Firefox (PortableApps.com, another great website to be introduced later), install Xmarks and save them all onto a USB flash drive, and take them with you wherever.

Lately, Xmarks also provides a password syncing feature that saves user IDs and passwords on sites that you frequently visit. By using the pin number system, it allows automatic log in of website info, without worries of leaking confidential information to the browser cookies.

Once inside Xmarks, you can even create various profiles that allows you to dynamically configure bookmarks. For example, to minimize distraction at work, I've create a "work" profile that I would use at work while browsing the web in the office. These sites would be mostly for research. At home, I would create another profile named "home", that would include my social networking sites (facebook, friendfeed, last.fm, etc).

I even created a "portable" profile that I can bring with me anywhere in a USB flash drive, and still be able to enjoy visiting my favorite sites.

Finally, Xmarks takes advantage of Firefox' built-in Live Bookmarks (syndication) feature that would fetch updates from blogs and instantly transforms into an RSS reader.

Diigo - Highlight and Share the Web [Bookmarking]

I love surfing the internet and finding new things. Whether to be the first to hear the breaking news, or drooling over the latest tech gadgets, I enjoy the thrill of new discoveries.

Since the world wide web is such a vast source for information, it's easy to be overwhelmed. Luckily, I've come across a bookmarking service that helps me organize my net adventures.

This, is where Diigo(DEE-go) enters the scene.

What is Diigo? At first glance, it looks to be another social bookmarking website, yet I've found that it's more than a server-hosted bookmark aggregator like Delicious or Google Bookmarks.

There are 3 main features that I like about Diigo:

1. Bookmark and Highlight
2. Sticky Notes
3. Share and discuss
   

First, you can annotate, or "highlight", the website or article that you've bookmarked.

When I see a great article yet don't have time to read it right away, I would bookmark the website via Diigo and highlight the paragraphs that I want to read later.

Secondly, you can create "sticky notes" on these websites. Suppose I read a blog review on a book or a movie, in addition to the comments capability on most blogs, I can also make sticky notes to share with the rest of the Diigo community.

Finally, the "Diigo community" is what makes this web service extremely helpful. Users with similar interests can search Diigo's bookmarks and find sites that meet their requirements, whether for research, learning, or other purposes. They can also find other users who have bookmarked similar sites and become friends with them to share future bookmarks.

There are a lot more to Diigo than just "bookmark and highlighting", and the development team is also working hard to resolve problems and improve the user experience.

In conclusion, Diigo is a worthwhile product that not only provides a easy to use bookmarking tool, but also a great community for sharing favorite sites, articles and interests.