Google Bookmarks

[Breon Nagy]

Out of all the Google services that I miss on my G1, Google Bookmarks
(GB) is on the top of the list. This should have been a no-brainer to
include in the browser. I've been praying to Gōdle (the god of
Google) that this is included in Chrome for Mac (if it ever comes
out).

There are a few apps in the market that can read your bookmark data.
One is for backing them up. One is for creating Home shortcuts with
custom icons. One is for simply rearranging, renaming, and deleting
bookmarks. NONE synchronize with the GB service.

So here are my thoughts on the app...
For starters, this would be a two way street. The user would be able
to add bookmarks to their Google account and to be able to use the
bookmarks that they've added from their computer.
The user would be able to add, label, edit, and delete with full
synchronization.

I'm not sure what's possible with Android browser, but I can think of
two scenarios:

Automatic
This is obviously preferred. There is really no user interaction,
other than installing the app, enter their Google creds, and setting a
check interval. The app would regularly check the Android browser and
the Google Bookmark server for new bookmarks.

Manual
The user would install the app and enter their credentials. When
browsing the internet they long-press in window and select Share. In
the pop up, they select the Google Bookmarks app. It is saved there
and then uploaded. To view a Google Bookmark, they open the app and
tap on a selected bookmark. It opens in the browser.

Hybrid
If full automatic isn't possible (i.e. injecting Google Bookmarks into
the Browser), a compromise would be to automatically extract bookmarks
from the Browser but manually view your Google Bookmarks in the app
only. This may be the better way to do it anyway, since some might
use an alternate browser than the stock Android one.

What do y'all think?

Found this...
http://lnkr.mobi/bm/google_bookmarks_api/
and this...
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/Browser.BookmarkColumns.html

[Justin Grammens]

Hi Breon,
Interesting idea. I've always thought how neat it would be if I could share my bookmarks across any device and am surprised someone hasn't come up a service to do this... regardless of the device.

It looks like from the link you sent that Google hasn't "officially" released an API for Google Bookmarks, which is a little annoying and means that they can change the calls at anytime and your app is hosed.

Regardless, what you are trying to do should be doable an automatic. in fact even easier not with some of the polling Android 1.5 has in it. Any ideas on polling people to gauge their interest is in an application like this and are not any others still on the market? Is sounds very interesting and am wondering if anyone else on this list would be interesting working together on this?

Justin

2009/6/6 Breon <breo...@gmail.com>

[Breon Nagy]

Since posting this, someone has made an attempt at importing Google
Bookmarks. I wasn't able to get it to work. However, they posted a
'how-to' YouTube video in their blog. I'm going to try it again. I
don't think it interacts with the Browser Bookmarks at all.

There are also a couple apps that allow you to import bookmarks from
your computer browser. So there is obviously a way to inject
bookmarks back into the Android Browser.

There is a backup app to save your Android Browser bookmarks. The
backed up bookmarks are store as a proprietary file, not useable in
any other app.

Lastly, there is an app that allows you to rearrange, edit and delete
the Android Browser bookmarks. So deletion from an external app is
possible.

It seems like all of the major pieces of the puzzle are there. Just
not in one neat package.

Google Bookmarks has an export feature. It exports to a single HTML
file. This is what the aforementioned Google Bookmarks app uses.
This link prompts you to save the HTML file.
http://www.google.com/bookmarks/bookmarks.html

Here is a link to the existing Google Bookmarks app
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.android.bookmarks2

Import apps
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.rerware.android.MyBookmarks
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.findheart.syncoid

Edit/Delete Bookmarks
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.geekyouup.android.bookmarker

Android Bookmark Backup
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.happydroid.bookmarks

--
cheers,
breon



2009/6/23 Justin Grammens <jus...@localtone.com>: