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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)."

18 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. Pr0n by pete-classic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait, I don't want all my bookmarks from home in my work browser!

    -Peter

  2. Re:Encrypted? by 0racle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well if you already use GMail, what's a little more personal information? Of course Google can index it and add it to the increasingly large profile of you.

    --
    "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
  3. Re:Encrypted? by zburner07 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually it tells you right here in the FAQ.

  4. BookmarkRank? by rjamestaylor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    BookmarkRank to augment PageRank?

    Hmmm.....

    --
    -- @rjamestaylor on Ello
  5. 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.

  6. 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.
  7. Trust by Ajehals · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you trust Google then this could be great! if you don't then feel free to bash this as a blatant grab for yet more personal data.

    Either way you cant say Google aren't pushing to see what users want, and integrating it into whats good for Google. My opinion? I don't know, I like and trust goggle as much as I trust any corporation, but do I want them to have yet more information about me? Probably not. So personally I will give it a miss, although it might be useful in the future, and if it takes off in internet kiosks (and why not) then all the better. It has some serious benefit to people who travel regularly and don't own laptops and PDA's.

    Cue the "tin foil hat" posts, closely followed by the "there is no privacy anyway" posts possibly followed by some random "I don't like the new layout" posts.

  8. Re:Ads will conveniently follow your bookmarks by generic-man · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google can already follow you around the 'net using their ad network. Blogs, photos, news sites, etc., all have Google Adsense. That same cookie builds up a wealth of data about you. If this offends you, putting your bookmarks up on Google shouldn't be any worse -- what could you possibly be telling them that they don't already know?

    (Besides your passwords to other sites...)

    --
    For more information, click here.
  9. Re:Encrypted? by Xhris · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Really why woud you care? If your keeping sensitive information in your bookmarks list then your a fool. Personally I have been copying my bookmarks.html to ~/publcic_html for years. Its very handy when using someone elses computer and trying to remeber a URL. (Actually it was more useful in the pre-google days. These days I mostly find the URL via goodle anyhow).

  10. PageRank? by cashman73 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I can see how they might be interested in the bookmarks and browser history information. This could help augment the PageRank algorithm to possibly cut down on all the scammers trying to increase their PageRank by google-bombing. If they can collect data on what sites people actually visit, based on their own browsers, this would be very useful. Of course, the NSA might want this information, too,... ;-)

  11. Re:Ads will conveniently follow your bookmarks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    it beats the penis enlargement ads, now google will allready know I have a large member & don't need such herbal enhancements

  12. Re:Encrypted? by Random+Destruction · · Score: 5, Insightful

    by saying nearly, they saved themselves a world of hurt if someone manages to crack one some day. Pretending encryption is 100% secure is foolish.

    --
    :x
  13. Googles response by Freaky+Spook · · Score: 5, Funny
    When I quit finding their apps useful, I'll rescind my offer to be profiled.

    I'm sorry Dave, Im afraid I can't do that.

  14. 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.
  15. Re:Encrypted? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "It depends on how much of correct data you provided when you signed up."

    I don't think it's as simple as that. If you're using GMail, you're likely logged in to Google every time you do a search. Do a bunch of porn viewing, and Google has the means to link that to your login. Take it a step further and keep your bookmarks there.. well... they certainly have more to draw on.

    Personally, I'm not so worried about what Google sees. I'm worried about the recent moves by the gov't to collect that info. Google is unintentionally setting up a nice little trap for a bunch of people. (No, this isn't a Google is evil statement, just pointing out the dangers of centralizing all this stuff.)

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  16. You can encrypt everything it can sync by Dan+Berlin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you look at the settings, next to every checkbox for "sync this", there is another check box for "encrypt this".
    Literally everything it can sync can be encrypted.

    Second, it syncs much more than bookmarks.
    I for one, enjoy having my history, tabs, and windows saved between the laptop and desktops I work on.

  17. 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.

  18. 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