Xmarks for iOS Update: Reverse Bookmark Order Added

The latest version of Xmarks for iPhone and Xmarks for iPad has been published! Part of our Premium offering, the update can now be found on the App Store. In addition to general functionality improvements, our new release includes updated graphics for retina display, the ability to reverse the bookmark order, and a couple of bug fixes.

To reverse your mobile bookmark order, check Reverse Bookmark Order under Bookmarks in your Mobile Settings. Then, perform a sync.

For more details on our iOS apps, read our help articles on Xmarks for iPhone and Xmarks for iPad.


The Xmarks Team

New: Xmarks for Windows Phone 7 is Here!

The Xmarks app is now available in the Windows Phone 7 marketplace! The app is the latest addition to our suite of Premium features in our ongoing quest to expand access to your bookmarks. You can trial the app for 2 weeks to test out features before deciding to upgrade to Premium (which operates on a per-account, rather than a per-device, basis).

View Bookmarks in Folders

After installing the app and logging in with your username and password, you'll see your folders and subfolders displayed in A-Z alphabetical order. The number of bookmarks stored in each folder and subfolder is indicated in parenthesis to the right of the folder's name.

You can swipe up the screen to quickly scan your folders. Tapping on the name of a folder or subfolder loads a list of that folders bookmarks, where you can swipe up or down to search for a specific bookmark.

The title of the bookmark is visible in white, with the URL listed below, in red. Tapping on the bookmark's name or URL launches it in the stock browser.

To navigate back to the main view of your folders, simply tap the device's back button.

Search for a Bookmark

When you need to search for a specific bookmark, you simply tap the "search" option. Tapping the search field allows you to start typing a relevant keyword or site name. The bookmarks auto-sort to display matching sites as you narrow your search.

Again, simply tap the bookmark's name to launch it in the stock browser.

Sync Open Tabs

If you have enabled "Open Tab Sync" for your account, tap the "tabs" view to see a list of your devices and number of open tabs. If this feature isn't currently enabled for your account, you can go to your Xmarks icon on your desktop browser, select "Xmarks Settings", choose the "Sync" tab, and check "Open Tabs". You'll need to select this option on every Xmarks browser addon you have installed; you can name the device, and individual browsers, so they are easily identifiable in other locations.

Tapping the name of the device allows you to view the tabs that are currently open. Again, simply tapping the name of the tab allows you to launch the URL in the stock browser.

Force a Refresh to Sync Your Data

Although polling happens automatically to keep your data up-to-date across your devices, you can refresh your data at any time by selecting the sync option. The icon appears at the bottom of your screen throughout the app, represented by the image of the two arrows circling back on each other.

More on the way!

We're continuing to develop and improve Xmarks, stay tuned for updates in the near future.

Best,
The Xmarks Team

We're Hiring!

Hi all,

We're looking for talented engineers to expand our development team!

At Xmarks and LastPass, we're passionate about technology, about our product and brand, and about how we can help improve people's online lives in a meaningful way. We're a committed, driven team, and we love what we do.

Our ideal candidate:

• Has a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Math, or Electrical Engineering
• Is an active and enthusiastic Xmarks user (if you're not currently using Xmarks or LastPass, download them and start using them so we can chat with you about the products!)
• Has a command of C, C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, HTML, JQuery, CSS, and SQL
• Has experience with several platforms (at minimum Windows and Linux) - we build for 12 major platforms, covering a number of versions for many of them
• Is comfortable with rapid release cycles
• Lives in proximity to Vienna, VA (the greater DC metro area) so that you can be in the office at least 3 days a week

LastPass headquarters are based in Vienna, Virginia, centrally located near the nation's capital and easily accessible by public transport. Employees enjoy flexible work hours, flexible holidays, and a great benefits package. A weekly company lunch outing helps keep the social atmosphere relaxed.

Interested? Please contact us!

Best,
The LastPass + Xmarks Teams

Xmarks for Safari Update: Open Tab Sync Release and Bug Fixes

Xmarks for Safari 1.3.8 has been released and is now available for download!
You can download the updated version directly from the Xmarks download page. If you're already using Xmarks for Safari or had it previously installed, be sure to run the uninstall option included in the download.

This update includes fixes for a number of reported bugs in Mac 10.7 (Lion) and the re-release of Open Tab Sync for Safari. Open Tab Sync is now fully supported in all browsers and will no longer require the installation of LastPass.

We continue to work to address the issues reported by users. If you're seeing ongoing errors, first try uninstalling and reinstalling the addon, as this fixes a large number of known issues.

More updates and improvements on the way, stay tuned!

Xmarks 4.0.0 Introduces Repair Feature for Firefox

You have asked, and we listened! Xmarks users that have encountered sync problems have heard from us that performing a backup and then a manual download is the quickest way to get back in sync.

Unfortunately, any bookmarks removed by the manual download must be added back one-by-one, a painstaking process. Thus, with Xmarks 4.0 we have added a new, non-destructive feature to fix the local bookmark database, called Repair.

You can download the new Xmarks 4.0 for Firefox at http://download.xmarks.com/download/all.

Why isn't Xmarks Sync good enough?

The underlying assumption of the Xmarks Sync algorithm is that bookmarks never change unless Xmarks knows about it. This enables the browsers and Xmarks servers to exchange small updates to modify the bookmarks rather than sending the entire sets of bookmarks.

However, for a variety of reasons, updates can get lost, bookmarks might be changed outside of the plugin's purview, and local databases may become corrupted. Repair makes no assumption that the server and client are in sync; instead, it checks the entire bookmark database each time.

How does Repair work?

Repair first takes a snapshot of the local bookmarks, sets the bookmarks to match the server copy, and then adds back any local bookmarks that aren't on the server. The re-added bookmarks are sent to the server on the next sync.

Repair also tries to fix common problems with the Firefox Places database. If you ever encounter the dreaded Xmarks error that your bookmark database is corrupt, you can now try running Repair before resorting to recreating your database.

And, it's fast. The repair algorithm is based on the concept of Merkle trees, which means the repair time is linear in the number of bookmarks, and only the bookmarks that differ from the server need to be downloaded.

Using Repair

To run Repair, simply click on the Advanced tab of Xmarks settings, and then click the Repair button next to the legend "Repair local nodeset." If there are unsaved local changes, the icon will change to indicate pending changes. Running "Synchronize Now" will then upload these bookmarks.

We will continue to improve this feature in future releases as we find more solutions that can be automated.

We hope you never have to use it, but if you get persistent sync errors, it's nice to know that Repair is there.

Xmarks for Dolphin HD Has Arrived!

The Xmarks plugin for the Dolphin HD Browser for Android is now available for download in the Android market.

First search for the Dolphin HD Browser in the market and download to your Droid. Once installation is complete you can navigate back to the market to search for "Xmarks Dolphin" and install the plugin. After launching the Dolphin Browser, you can swipe the screen to the left to view the extensions toolbar, where Xmarks should now appear:

Tapping on the icon allows you to login to your account and initiate syncing of your stored bookmarks:

Once synchronization is complete, you can swipe to the right to view your Bookmarks bar. Tapping on a bookmark entry launches it in the Dolphin browser.

To view your bookmarks in folder format, you can either tap 'Bookmarks' at the bottom of the Bookmarks bar, or you can swipe left, click on the gear icon, and tap 'Bookmarks'.

Xmarks for Dolphin is a Premium product, with a two-week free trial that allows you to test it out before committing to a Premium upgrade.

Direct Import from Delicious

go to http://buy.xmarks.com/delicious.php

Following our previous post about migrating from Delicious to Xmarks, we have officially released a direct importer for your Delicious bookmarks.

If you're ready to export from Delicious, go to http://buy.xmarks.com/delicious.php, where you may be prompted to login to Xmarks if you're not already:



After logging in to your Xmarks account, you'll be prompted to select the type of Delicious account you use, either the newer login via your Yahoo! account, or the older login with your del.icio.us:



After signing in, you will see a table with the Delicious bookmarks that are available for import:

Once you have selected and double-checked your bookmarks for import, you can click "Import Selected Items" to initiate import, after which you'll receive an "import successful" message.

You will automatically be redirected to my.xmarks.com where you can see a new folder for your imported Delicious sites:

If you select "Details" for a specific bookmark, you'll be able to pull up the edit box and view the Delicious tags for that site:



If you run into any sync errors please email us at support@xmarks.com with details; there are some limitations with Yahoo's API that could cause problems for a few users.

Help spread the word to those who would consider Xmarks as an alternative choice!