Improved desktop-to-mobile synchronization and hardware acceleration powered by WebGL are the hallmarks of Mozilla's latest Firefox 4 beta, which the company plans to release later today for desktops and mobile devices.

Firefox Sync, from an early version in June 2010.

Firefox 4 beta 8, for Windows, Mac, and Linux, isn't expected to make any sweeping changes to the browser, instead focusing on improving already-included features. Meanwhile, not much is known at this time about what will be included in the simultaneous release of Firefox Mobile 4 beta 3 for Android and Maemo, although CNET has been able to confirm that the update will contain improvements to the mobile sync.

The biggest feature improvement in this round of updates is the streamlining of the setup process for Firefox Sync, which Mozilla hopes will make it easier to have the same bookmarks, history, preferences, tabs, and passwords across your computers and phones.

For the computer version of Firefox 4, users can also expect to see further tweaking of the WebGL 3D rendering tech, and further polish applied to the previously-revamped add-ons manager. The full list of changes to Firefox 4 beta 8 is available here, and further details bug-fixes such as changes made to HTML5 compatability and browser security.

Other changes to the mobile version have not yet been announced but will be updated here later today.