Apple brings iCloud bookmark sync to Windows

Scurvy-free curs sail t' seven seas with shiny Chrome and Firefox swag

Apple today issued iOS 7, bringing with it the usual complaints of clogged networks and imperfect installs.

But the company also slipped out a pair of browser plugins that bring the bookmark-synchronisation functions of its iCloud service to the Chrome and Firefox browsers. iCloud is baked into MacOS, so the extensions are aimed at Windows users. The Firefox extension is therefore Windows-only, while the Chrome code installs on a Mac and then tells you it is not needed.

Ensuring Windows users can access their iCloud bookmarks isn't a huge leap forward: most browsers can do the trick these days.

That Apple is still adding features to iCloud may be more noteworthy. While the service can point to over 300 million users thanks to its inclusion in all iOS devices since its 2011 launch, it's not generated much enthusiasm or done serious damage to rivals like Box or Dropbox.

Adding bookmark sync is unlikely to do excite the market, but the fact Apple has taken steps towards a greater presence on the Windows desktop may suggest Cupertino hasn't given up the idea of capturing more cloudy customers in future. ®