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Google Open Sources Browser Sync

Posted by samzenpus on from the free-for-all dept.

Dan Berlin writes "After announcing that Browser Sync was being discontinued, a lot of people asked for Google to open source the code so development could continue. Well, they've done just that. The code for browser sync is now available on code.google.com, and a blog post about the release can be found on the Google open source blog"

19 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. dupe by stiller · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/30/2036213

    1. Re:dupe by Mushdot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nah, you didn't sync Slashdot properly.

  2. Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What server will you trust?

    1. Re:Server by hansraj · · Score: 5, Informative

      But with your data encrypted, why do you need to trust anyone? For you it is the state of your browser, passwords etc, but for anyone else it is random bits.

      Doesn't Browser sync already supports encrypting your data? Even if it doesn't I am sure this capability can be added now that it is open-source.

    2. Re:Server by KlaymenDK · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You know, some of us would rather host our data ourselves than trust Google with it...

      --
      "Good news, everyone!"
    3. Re:Server by Xiph · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Might it be part of the reason they're shutting down and releasing source?
      They don't want a judge to release the data to Corporation X.

      Besides i can easily host my own browsersettings on my home computer, in fact, i'll be setting it up (or trying to) when i come home

      --
      Blah blah sig blah blah blah irony blah blah
    4. Re:Server by Alarash · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I don't understand people. You could send your sync data to _any_ server, even your own, it will *never* be totally safe. Just *_don't_* send data that can potentially harm you if it's intercepted. Personally, I sync only my bookmarks, and I don't give a damn if anyone ever gets access to them.

    5. Re:Server by djdavetrouble · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about you name droppping some more distros within an otherwise useless comment.

      --
      music lover since 1969
    6. Re:Server by dissy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What server will you trust?

      One that I own and administer.

      The real question is, will I be able to get their server back end installed and working...

  3. The conspiracy is complete by pacroon · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't imagine a company that actually does what the public asks? They must have a secret agenda!

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    It's all fun & games until someone loses the game.
  4. Good for Google by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 4, Funny

    If they're not going to develop it any further, they might as well let someone else have a go. Now all we have to do is convince Microsoft to release the source code to Windows ME.

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    Summation 2
    1. Re:Good for Google by Syrente · · Score: 5, Funny

      Whereas Browser Sync is in the interest of technology/simplicity, I'd see the source code of Windows ME being released in the interest of tragic comedy more than anything...

  5. I really liked it. by XB-70 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I use a bunch of machines all over the place (mostly for development/personal interest). I use old machines, dial-up, new machines, servers - having browser sync was a god-send. It was great to be able to reference everything regardless of architecture and O/S. I agree that there are concerns about what Google would/could reveal to legislative bodies, but that's only because they are so huge that other factors come into play. Maybe this is their way of extricating themselves (somewhat) from the liabilities associated with having that much info about a person's real interests. That said, I feel that I was never 'targeted' as a result of their handling of my data, nor was there ever any 'push' marketing as a result. I think that's where you draw the line between good corporate citizen and spammer. I hope that someone who has the time can re-incorporate it into FireFox 3.x

    --
    *** Don't be dull.***
  6. Wow by Cloud+K · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm sure there have been other examples, but this is the first and possibly only example I can think of of a company *actually responding* to requests for a discontinued product to be open-sourced. Let alone actually going ahead and doing it.

    Bravo Google :)

    1. Re:Wow by neokushan · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I'm sure there's better examples, but off the top of my head I know that a few years ago, there was a petition started to release the source code to Warzone 2100, an old (yet brilliant) 3D RTS game that still stands out amongst the crowd today. After a few months (possibly a couple of years), Eidos scrambled together the source code and released it to the community.
      Since then, the Warzone resurrection project has come leaps and bounds - fixing bugs, improving what platforms the game runs at, allowing higher resolutions, improving the AI, etc.
      The only slight catch (that I'm aware of) is that the Video CODEC used in the original game was proprietary, so Eidos couldn't release the source to that and the company that owns the CODEC wouldn't allow it to be distributed any more.

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      +1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
  7. Re:When google by daveime · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's a nice little add on for Firefox called "Live HTTP Headers", which shows all requests made from the browser. This includes the actual request by Flash to fetch the FLV file, so you get the full URL of the request, paste it back into the address bar, and choose save as file. Easy.

    Let the FLV pr0n downloads begin.

  8. Re:Slashdot Google Obsession by Xiph · · Score: 5, Funny

    my settings is set to give trolls +1 and flamebait +2.
    It's often some of the most humerous and insightful comments. At other times it's just gay fiction.

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    Blah blah sig blah blah blah irony blah blah
  9. I already switched to foxmarks by smartin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And I have to say that it works much better than browsersync ever did, with the added bonus that I can host my own data.

    --
    The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
  10. This is what every software company should do. by zmjjmz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Open source their abandonware. The world would be a much better place, and the companies wouldn't get hurt.