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Google Releases Google Browser Sync Extension

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the good-to-go dept.

Pneuma ROCKS writes "Google has just released the Google Browser Sync extension for Firefox. This extension allows you to save your bookmarks, history and passwords on Google servers, effectively giving you a 'roaming profile,' which you can sync on any computer running Firefox (and the extension, of course)."

12 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Encrypted? by zburner07 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually it tells you right here in the FAQ.

  2. For those who are loathe ... by El+Cubano · · Score: 5, Informative

    Google has just released the Google Browser Sync extension for Firefox. This extension allows you to save your bookmarks, history and passwords on Google servers, effectively giving you a 'roaming profile,' which you can sync on any computer running Firefox (and the extension, of course).

    For those who are loathe to continue shovelling their personal info at Google ...

    scp ~/.firefox/default/<random_letters>/bookmarks.html my_web_host:~/public_html/

    Then, from any computer:

    wget -O ~/.firefox/default/<random_letters>/bookmarks.html http://mywebhost/bookmarks.html

    If the system you are on doesn't have wget, you can just visit the URL and use the links in the browser or save the file to your profile on the machine. If you don't want it so easily accessible on the 'net, then you can use a different file name or put it in some randomly named directory.

  3. Re:Encrypted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    Actually, it does say it will be encrypted:

    http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/browsersync/fa q.html#q9
    Why do I need to provide a PIN?

    The PIN you create during setup is used to encrypt information that's synced between your computers, which may include sensitive information such as your passwords for websites. We use your PIN to unlock that information. Without your PIN, no one will be able to read the information that's being transmitted between your computers via Google Browser Sync.
  4. Worried about Privacy? Use Foxmarks instead. by BrianWCarver · · Score: 4, Informative

    For those who are worried about giving their browsing history and passwords to Google (or anyone for that matter), you can still reap the benefits of synchronized bookmarks with another Firefox extension: Foxmarks.

    Foxmarks is basically the same thing, but just for bookmarks (and not on Google's servers). It's great for keeping bookmarks across multiple machines, and also really useful for those who dual (or triple) boot a single machine. My triple-boot MacBook keeps all its bookmarks in sync with Foxmarks!

    --
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  5. Re:awesome by krotkruton · · Score: 3, Informative

    Google making firefox extensions? Maybe I'm retarded, but this is the first I've seen.

    Maybe I'm retarded, but that didn't seem sarcastic to me, so here are some other firefox extensions from google. The "beta" (yeah, google loves the beta) version of google toolbar for firefox was released on July 7th, 2005.

  6. Re:awesome by tonyr1988 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Just to clarify, this is not the first Google Firefox extension.

    http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/index.html

    • Google Toolbar
    • Google Browser Sync (how relevant.....)
    • Blooger Comments
    • Send to Phone
    They also used to have:

    But they are both incorporated into Google Toolbar now.
  7. Re:Trust by Ajehals · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not so confident - again I trust Google however they do appear to have left themselves with some room for maneuver. I would simply ask whether you would be as confident if Google were taken over by a less scrupilous competitor in 3 months time. - If you read the associated T&C's you will find:
    --
    3. GOOGLE PRIVACY POLICY
    For information about our data protection practices and the data that may be available to Google when you use the Firefox Extensions, please see the Google Privacy Policy at http://www.google.com/privacy.html and the Firefox Extensions Privacy Notices at http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/agreement.html . By using the Extensions, you acknowledge and agree that Google may access, preserve, and disclose information regarding your use of the services if required to do so by law or under other conditions set forth in the Google Privacy Policy http://www.google.com/privacy.html. Google will not be responsible or liable for the exercise or non- exercise of its rights under the Terms of Service.
    --
    Emphasis mine... So Im sure you could read into that a little - however as I said I do trust Google, however the usual issues apply, and Google may well be leaving themselves access (for the reasons above..). Then from the linked privacy policy:
    --
    Uses

            * We may use personal information to provide the services you've requested, including services that display customized content and advertising.
            * We may also use personal information for auditing, research and analysis to operate and improve Google technologies and services.
            * We may share aggregated non-personal information with third parties outside of Google.
            * When we use third parties to assist us in processing your personal information, we require that they comply with our Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
            * We may also share information with third parties in limited circumstances, including when complying with legal process, preventing fraud or imminent harm, and ensuring the security of our network and services.
            * Google processes personal information on our servers in the United States of America and in other countries. In some cases, we process personal information on a server outside your own country.
            * Read more in the full privacy policy.
    --
    Again emphasis mine, IANAL but that does appear to broaden the scope wouldn't you say? I am not suggesting Google would use this data for their own benefit but it appears they could, up to and including passing it on to a third party.

  8. Re:Encrypted? by Dan+Berlin · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you look at the extension, you will see you can choose to encrypt any/all of what it can sync.

  9. Re:Encrypted? by elyk · · Score: 3, Informative

    Try Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer. At first it appears to only work with their servers, but if you look at the advanced settings it allows you to specify your own ftp server. I'm not sure if it encrypts it, but you could get a reasonable level of security by storing it in a non-web-accesible ftp folder, and there might be a setting to use secure ftp or https; I forget (I uninstalled it because I realized I didn't really need it).

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  10. Re:Ads will conveniently follow your bookmarks by RedWizzard · · Score: 5, Informative
    So what if it's encrypted iF Google has the encryption key.
    Did you not read the rest of that FAQ? Or are you being deliberately misleading? From the FAQ:
    What's the point of encrypting my information?

    By encrypting your information, it will be transmitted to and stored on Google's servers in a format that is nearly impossible to interpret without the PIN. That means that without the PIN, no one, not even Google, will be able to read your data.

  11. Moving away from the philosophical debate... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Informative

    ... and on to an actual comment about the extension itself.

    On my Mac, this extension was rather problematic. It installed just fine, and syncs with Firefox on my Linux box just fine. But when I launch subsequent sessions of Firefox on my Mac, I get one window telling me it's connecting to the Google server - and it overlays (and 95% of the time prevents interaction with) the window that pops up asking for my master password (for FF's saved passwords feature). Can't type my master password, can't get past this point.

    In order to actually run Firefox again, I had to manually remove the extension from my profile.

    I'm used to Google's "betas" working quite smoothly - it's unusual to run into one with a big old flaw like this one.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  12. Re:Encrypted? by grammar+fascist · · Score: 4, Informative

    Its not really clear about how much of your information is encryped. Your passwords yes, but your browsing history? Your bookmarks?

    I've just downloaded and installed it. It automatically encrypts your cookies and passwords (it doesn't let you change this setting), and gives you the option of encrypting history, bookmarks, and tabs and windows if you choose to synchronize them. Additionally, it's all optional.

    And if you were really security-conscious, you could tell it to not synchronize anything at all.

    Assuming it keeps working (it has so far), I really like it. It makes keeping bookmarks actually worthwhile.

    --
    I got my Linux laptop at System76.