It’s about time - finally there is a high quality replacement for the discontinued Google Browser Sync. It was a tool to synchronize the bookmarks and passwords of multiple copies of Firefox web browser. As it was a Mozilla Firefox extension, it was a multi-platform solution allowing you to keep your web browser data synchronized even across platforms, like Linux and Windows for an example. But Google decided to pull the plug on this service as Firefox was updated to version 3. Once you are accustomed to the practicality of such service it is hard to live without. The only replacement was Mozilla Weave, which introduces more problems than it solves. Weave is slow, unreliable and practically seems to kill Firefox at least in Linux environment when performing the background synchronization. But fortunately you can now kiss Weave goodbye as the latest version of Foxmarks supports password synchronization - and it does it well.

Foxmarks has been offering their synchronization solution quite some time, but until now their service has been limited to bookmarks. They gained a good reputation and a decent user base even with the more limited set of features as their service was proven to be quick and more reliable than the competition (Google Browser Sync, and especially Weave). Now with password synchronization included their service is top notch in every way.

Like in all browser synchronization services, the idea of Foxmarks is simple. It takes your Firefox personal data, encrypts it with 256bit encryption algorithm using a PIN-code that only you will know, and uploads the content to a Foxmark’s server. In case you do not want to use Fomark’s server to store your private data you can also setup your own.  When you setup Foxmarks to another Firefox client, you will be asked whether to merge the bookmarks and passwords, use the server data, or use the client data. Afterwards it keeps track of changes in the clients and synchronized them with the server periodically. The server will also act as a complete backup of your browser data in case you happen to lose a Firefox browser setup for one reason or another (hardware failure, reinstalling the system…). Foxmarks also offers the bookmarks available online via their web based service.

Check them out at: Foxmarks.com