New Sync feature added to Firefox 4 beta

Mozilla Firefox

The Firefox 4 beta has received yet another revamp with the addition of two new features.

The first is the incorporation of Firefox Sync, previously available as an add-on, but now integrated into the browser.

This feature allows users to retain bookmarks, history, passwords and even open tabs, across multiple platforms by sending the information to a server and enabling users to access it from anywhere, be it another PC or a mobile phone.

"Firefox Sync encrypts all of your data before sending it to the server and does not track your travels throughout the web," read a statement from Mozilla.

"This means that you never have to compromise your privacy for the convenience of using Firefox Sync."

The latest beta also has a new feature to help users better organise their tabs.

Panorama enables users to group their tabs into categories and prioritise them on a full screen, rather than having a plethora of tiny tab bars at the top of the page to sort through.

"If you juggle many open tabs for work, shopping, music, social sites, vacation planning and more, you can easily group and prioritise those tabs any way you want," Mozilla added.

"With one keystroke you can see an overview of all tabs to quickly locate and switch between tabs or groups of tabs."

Users who have already downloaded the Firefox 4 beta will be receiving an automatic update in the next few weeks to add the new features.

Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.