Google Firefox sync app
p2p news / p2pnet: Sergey and Larry have figured out a way to use Firefox 1.5 X to launch another Google ’service’ promotional effort.
Called Google Browser Sync, by default, it, "continuously synchronizes browser settings – including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords – across your computers," says the company. "It also allows you to restore open tabs and windows across different machines and browser sessions."
Looks good. But do you trust Google? Really trust it? Because to do the things it wants to do, it’ll be phoning home, just like Microsoft’s WGA.
"Google Browser Sync must update your browser settings whenever you start Firefox," says the company. But given the unwholesome and unwelcome attention the Cheney/Bush administration is paying to Google and others, trying to compel them to divulge user data ……..
Users can use a PIN to encrypt information, "which may include sensitive information such as your passwords for websites," says Google, going on:
"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."
Encrypted information will be transmitted to, and stored on, Google’s servers, "in a format that is nearly impossible to interpret without the PIN". [Our emphasis]
"That means that without the PIN, no one, not even Google, will be able to read your data. Therefore, it’s important to choose a good PIN (at least 8 characters including both numbers and letters) that’s hard to guess and to keep your PIN safe. Note that encrypting all of your browser settings may affect the performance of Google Browser Sync and Firefox."
Meanwhile, Firefox may be the first, but it won’t be the only, the operational word being ‘currently’.
"Currently," Google Browser Sync, "doesn’t work in the Mozilla Suite, Internet Explorer, or Opera," says Google.
Also See:
WGA – Windows Genuine DisAdvantage, June 8, 2006
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June 9th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
There is a bigger problem with this. I’ve tried it today (otherway: it’s really usefull) and I found that in the normal install it only encrypts cookies and passwords (but at least it really does…).
You have to go to the settings (or use the advanced install) to enable the encryption of other (also sensitive) information, such as your browsing history, bookmarks or open tabs… most users (my “moderate” guess is 99%) will not do this.
They really encrypt everything, except the information valuable to them.
June 10th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Why ow why back it up on-line for? Why not allow people to back up this information localy if want to, say to USB key or to someone own website.
Just an idea