Tom's Blog

On Wednesday, I ragged on Google for four of its good-to-terrible services that all could be better. Today I want to play fair and congratulate Google on one service that is so handy and useful, it has saved me time nearly every day: Google Browser Sync.

This handy Firefox plugin stores my browser bookmarks on a Google server, and then synchronizes the bookmarks to all of the four-to-six computers I use each week. If I save a bookmark while surfing at home, it's there on my work computer the next morning. I don't have to visit any special website or store my bookmarks on a "social networking" site like with the del.icio.us Firefox extension. I let Firefox manage my bookmarks, and let Google Browser Sync synchronize them between all my computers.

I have to say, I really like this service from Google. I don't have to do anything but occasionally re-confirm my Google password when Firefox launches. It just works.

Browser Sync also can synchronize Firefox's browser history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords. I don't use these services out of my general caution for leaking passwords and other sensitive information if Google's servers are ever hacked, but I can see perhaps one day using the cookie sync out of convenience.

Thank you, Google. With Browser Sync, you did good.

Thursday October 12, 2006 Permalink