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Google releases "Browser Sync" Firefox extension

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On June 9, 2006, 6:07 PM EST

Ever wish you could retain the same web profile on any machine you went to? Same list of favorites, same cached passwords, same cookies, et cetera? While carrying your profile around on a thumbdrive may get the job done, it'd be pretty cumbersome. Google has come up with a much more elegant idea, and has released Google Browser Sync, specifically designed for the Firefox browser. Although it must be installed as an extension on each computer individually, once it is there, it will keep every machine you have Browser Sync installed on up to date with the same settings for everything.

In addition, it also has the ability to create backup sessions and restoring windows/tabs from older sessions, or bringing them to others. It definitely sounds interesting, and assuming you use Firefox and use multiple computers, is probably worth a shot.

As a side note and in case it wasn't too obvious, the settings are saved on Google's servers, and according to their FAQs all data is encrypted and nearly impossible to interpret without a PIN (which works as a password).

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User Comments (12)

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DragonMaster
on June 9, 2006
8:32 PM
OK, and can they read it and give your info to the NSA by example?Well, NICE extension! I was first thinking to do this with an USB drive when I got one two years ago, but I found that it was slow, and if I would ever forget it somewhere, all my data would be unavailable. I have about 3-4 computers that I would like to keep their profile synched and it looks like I can do it now!Is it saving the cache??

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DragonMaster
on June 9, 2006
9:41 PM
Just installed it, you can actually choose what you want to keep. For me, bookmarks and the current sites opened are enough. I don't look at my history often or need to get (or eat) cookies from an other session.Google Notebook extension is cool also.

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Julio
on June 9, 2006
10:32 PM
I don't have immediate plans to use it but it should be quite useful indeed.

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Canadian
on June 9, 2006
10:42 PM
Sounds very interesting. Some of the products coming from Google are just amazing, and truly original.

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Julio
on June 10, 2006
1:41 AM
IMHO they have done good so far using the tons of cash they've got, acquiring a few companies, and expanding to other areas besides search/advertising. Nevertheless they still have to prove a viable business for all those experiments without funding from search, I'm not saying now but definitely in the longer run.

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nathanskywalker
on June 10, 2006
4:35 AM
Just got it. I don't use firefox as much as i do opera, but this should be good. Google wants more information? Seriously. Wonder how much they make selling "private data" to ...people...like the NSA.

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DragonMaster
on June 10, 2006
8:36 AM
In the license they say that you are responsible if you want to show your data or not to everyone (128-bit encryption probably) and that they will not to anything to it unless you send info (probably bookmarks) that are violating patents or copyrights. The data is encrypted by your password so the NSA probably can't do much for this(Unless they take lots of time trying to find your password). Put enough different caps and numbers, and make it long enough and you should be OK.

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blackcat77
on June 10, 2006
12:03 PM
Foxmarks does the same thing without putting your information out there for everybody to see. I'd recomment that extension instead.

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DragonMaster
on June 10, 2006
1:52 PM
[quote] Foxmarks does the same thing without putting your information out there for everybody to see. I'd recomment that extension instead.[/quote]They're not showing it to anybody either. TO bea ble to use the extension, you need to give your google user account name and password, and then you need to give an other password because the data is encrypted with it. You can choose what you want to encrypt and what you don't.(Except cookies and passwords which are always encrypted)

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nathanskywalker
on June 10, 2006
3:33 PM
Ok, so mabye they're honest for now. But really, information is one of the biggest, if not the biggest markets in the world. Google has alot of it, and after all, they're just another corporation. They say they protect our privacy, but how long do you really think that will last? Not that i care all that much.

Reply

DragonMaster
on June 10, 2006
9:13 PM
If you just keep your bookmarks on their server it shouldn't be too bad.

Reply

lordbf1
on June 12, 2006
12:49 PM
sweet sweet sweet. now all my pc's/ laptops both windows and linux will be current.

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