Google said it has compiled a new software library to synchronize browser data in the cloud. It also said it has developed the server infrastructure for synchronizing the data to the Google accounts of Chrome browser users.
The twin developments enabled Google to add bookmark sync to the developer-channel build of its Chrome 4.0 browser on Monday. The technology promises to eventually give Web surfers easy access to their personalized resources across multiple computers.
“Many users have several machines, one at home and one at work, for example,” said Tim Steele, a software engineer working on Google Chrome. “This new feature makes it easy to keep the same set of bookmarks on all your machines, and stores them alongside your Google Docs for easy Web access.”
Syncing in the Cloud
Once a user has set up sync using the browser’s Tools menu, Chrome will then upload and store personalized bookmarks in the user’s Google account. Thereafter, any time the user adds or changes a bookmark, the changes will be sent to the cloud and immediately broadcast to all other computers for which the user has activated bookmark sync, Steele said.
According to Google, the open-source code uses the same XMPP technology as Google Talk. The original aim of this open, XML-based protocol was to enable near-real-time, extensible instant messaging and presence information, but more recently it was extended to include Voice over IP and file-transfer signaling capabilities.
Right now Google’s bookmark sync technology is only available to developers working on the Chrome 4.0 build, and there’s no word about when it might be available to the public. But when it does reach mainstream users, it appears that Google will have some competition.
Xmarks says its browser add-on for bookmark sync, which is compatible with the Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari browsers, has already had…