A new version of Firefox Sync was released as well (Firefox Sync 1.3b5) which offers considerable advantages over earlier versions.

This includes an improved response time, a new production server clusters built to handle larger loads, client user interface facelift and more.

The full list of changes is listed in the release notes.

Take a look at the screenshots below to see how easy it is to configure Firefox Sync to backup browser data that can be restored and synced with other devices. Data can be stored on Mozilla servers or custom servers.

Firefox sync supports continuous synchronization of the bookmarks, Firefox preferences, browsing history, saved passwords and tabs.

Existing Firefox Sync users can log in while new users need to create an account first.

The Firefox Sync server (Mozilla or custom), username, password and email address need to be configured in the Sync account creation window.

A secret phrase needs to be entered which will be used to encrypt and decrypt the data.

The data that should be synced can be selected in the next wizard window. It is possible to sync everything or only specific data sets.

A captcha appears on the screen afterwards which feels a bit strange. The setup completes afterwards and Firefox Sync will appear in the status bar of the web browser indicating that it is performing the initial syncing of data to the selected servers.

The latest version of Firefox Sync can be downloaded from the official Mozilla Labs website. A click on Experimental version next to Download Weave now will download and install the latest beta version of Firefox Sync.

Update: Mozilla has integrated Firefox Sync into recent versions of the Firefox web browser. Users can now configure data synchronization in Firefox with a click on Tools > Options in the Firefox menu, and the selection of the Sync tab in the Options window.

It is necessary to create an account before data can be synchronized between different versions of the Firefox web browser. Once setup, it is possible to sync data such as bookmarks, passwords and soon add-ons with Firefox running on other devices.

I use Moz Backup for Firefox to backup my data and import it to my Toshiba Notebook that I use when I’m traveling. Mozilla Weave is using a slightly different approach that automates the process further. It provides an online storage for Firefox 3 profile data that can be used on any computer connecting if the correct user data is provided.

After installing Weave on the first computer a wizard is guiding through the initial account setup. This has to be done once only, all other computers with Weave can use the login details, that is username, password and passphrase, from that computer to connect to Weave and sync the data.

It is up to the user to select the data that will be stored at the Weave servers. By default Bookmarks, Cookies, Tabs and Browsing History will be synchronized. Saved Passwords and Form Data are optional and experimental at this stage. The transfer of the data to the server can take a while depending on the amount of data that has to be transferred.

The data will be encrypted and the transfer puts some strain on Firefox which did become unresponsive in that time on my system. Weave will connect to the server periodically after the initial synchronization if data has been changed on the computer.

Options to store extensions and themes among other things are already visible in the add-on but not selectable currently. Weave will be a nice option for users who are using multiple computers. I prefer to use Mozbackup instead to export and import data because I work with one computer at home and use the other only when traveling which is not that often.