If you're anything like us, chances are good you use bookmarks as a memory aid. Researching stories, digging through recipes, planning vacations -- it's easy to amass substantial collections of fairly important links that you might want to refer back to at any moment.

Trouble is, most of us don’t spend all day in front of just one Web browser. And the more we switch between devices, the more important it becomes to keep all those bookmark lists in sync.

Difficulty level:
Easy

What you need:
> Open-source Web browser Firefox (free, www.mozilla.com)
> Foxmarks extension for Firefox (free, addons.mozilla.org)
> Safari (free, www.apple.com)
> Bookdog for Safari (free 14-day trial, $19.95 to buy, www.sheepsystems.com)

METHOD ONE: FIREFOX

1. Get Foxy

If you don't already have a copy of Firefox, you'll want to download the latest version and install it. We're starting with Firefox because of its amazing library of useful add-ons -- bookmark syncing is just one of the many nifty things you can do with this flexible piece of software. Anyway, if this is your first time using Firefox, choose File > Import to import all your Safari bookmarks and such.

Step 1: We think Firefox (especially considering all the add-ons) does make the Web better, but your mileage may vary.

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2. Bolt It On

Once you've got Firefox installed and running, choose Tools > Add-ons to bring up the Extensions window. Select the Get Add-ons tab and type "foxmarks" in the search bar. Select Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer and click the Add To Firefox button, then the Install Now button once it becomes available. Restart Firefox, and a Foxmarks window will pop up. Follow the instructions to sign up for a new account and upload your bookmarks. 

Step 2: Find Foxmarks Bookmark Syncronizer in Tools > Add-ons > Get Add-ons.

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3. Go About Your Business

From now on, Foxmarks will sync your bookmarks with the server's on a regular schedule, transparently and smoothly. So all you need to do is add bookmarks as you normally do, and they'll be updated on the server automatically. Or you can Control-click on the Foxmarks icon in the lower-right corner of your Firefox screen to sync manually.

Step 3: Force a Foxmarks sync by clicking the little icon at the bottom-right. (Click to embiggen!)

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4. Spread the Love

Now that all your bookmarks are stored in a nice central location, you can keep your various machines in sync by installing Foxmarks on any machine you use on a regular basis. But maybe you only want to share some of your bookmarks. No problem. Go to Tools > Foxmarks > Foxmarks Settings and choose the Profiles tab. Click the My.Foxmarks.Com button to set up different profiles and associated bookmarks, then click the Change button to choose which profile you want to sync with which location.

Step 4: If you don't want your strictly work-related bookmarks synced to your home machine, tweak the Profiles settings.

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5. Take This Show on the Road

But what if you don't have the ability to install Firefox and Foxmarks on a machine? Maybe you're on a locked-down work PC, or a portable device. No problem! Just head to my.foxmarks.com from any browser, log in, and you'll have access to your full bookmark selection. The page even formats itself like an iPhone App if it detects Safari Mobile as the browser; if that's your setup, we recommend tapping the Plus sign and adding a direct link to your home screen.

Step 5: When you log in to my.foxmarks.com from your iPhone, your bookmarks are easy to navigate.

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METHOD TWO: SAFARI

1. Delicious is Golden

Bookmark syncing is definitely a breeze with Firefox. But if you simply can't bear to leave Safari behind, you're not completely out of luck. First, download and install bookmark manager Bookdog. Fire it up and choose File > Web Service > del.icio.us. Assuming you don't have a Delicious account, click New to sign up and follow the directions in Safari.

Now switch back to Bookdog, enter your account name and password, and click Log In. Once login is complete, choose File > New Migration/Synchronization. Make sure Safari is selected on the left, and your Delicious account on the right. Choose Bilaterally as the sync type, and make sure to check the box to translate Safari folder names into Delicious tags. 

Step 1: Bookdog can keep Safari synced with Delicious, an online social-bookmarking service. (Click to embiggen!)

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2. All Access

Now you can access all your current Safari bookmarks by visiting Delicious from any browser and logging in. Mobile phone users can access their bookmarks through www.mobilicio.us, and iPhone owners can download an App called Bookmarks (iTunes Store link) to gain full access to Delicious. There's just one problem: Any new bookmarks you create in Safari won't transfer to Delicious automatically. 

Step 2: Once your Safari bookmarks are synced with Delicious, you can access them from any Web browser on any machine.

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3. Get Regular

Fortunately, the developer of Bookdog has written an AppleScript that lets you schedule a daily sync. Head back to the Bookdog page and grab the ZIP file of sample AppleScripts (link is to a ZIP file) the developer has put together. Unzip it and start up the Bookdog Migration Scheduler. Click Schedule, then OK. This will open up a synchronization window in Bookdog. Verify that the settings are the same as in Step 1. Now switch back to the AppleScript, click OK, verify the location of your Bookdog installation, and select the time to run the synchronization. Now comes the best part: wondering how you ever got by without instant access to all your bookmarks.

Step 3: Schedule a daily sync by downloading and running an AppleScript.