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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)."

9 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!

    --
    Like Digital Freedoms? Then donate to EFF before they're gone.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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
  9. 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.