In Firefox, one of the awesome bar's awesome tricks is guessing which URL you meant to type. It does it by querying Google and using the Browse By Name search feature to take you directly to a site.

For instance, if I just type "http", Firefox can't find anything definitive in the history for just that part of a URL, so it kicks it over to the keyword search. Google takes you to the top search result for that keyword, which is the Wikipedia article on HyperText Transport Protocol.

But, if you don't like Google, you can change that. Here's how:

Type about:config in the location bar and press return.

This takes you to a warning, asking you to be careful. Do be careful. Once you're sure you mean it, press the "I'll be careful, I promise button."

Now type keyword.URL into the box marked Filter.

Double-click on keyword.URL and a dialog box will pop up with a Google URL in it. This is the URL the awesome bar uses to do a search when it can't make sense of what you typed.

I suggest saving that URL somewhere, in case you want it back. Though it is currently in the article for keyword.URL at MozillaZine.org.

In the text box, replace the URL with whatever search engine you'd rather use.

Press OK.

Now go to the awesome bar and for a test type "http" again.

Instead of taking you to the Wikipedia article, it gives you Bing search results for http.

You can change the keyword search to hit other sites, as well.

For instance, Scroogle is a site that returns Google results without your IP address being logged or cookies being set.

And Nathan Thompson, Class of 2011, e-mailed me about how he's using CNET search to power his keyword lookup in Firefox. He just uses the cnet.com search string and ends it after query=.

That, my friends, will give you a few more options to tweak your Firefox awesome bar's awesomeness.

This time we got clever. You see, because we're examining a 90 day period, usually the results don't change very fast. So we thought--a-ha!--since we're off on Friday, July 3 in the U.S, we'll be superefficient and shoot the search terms video early so we get ahead. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

Well, let's see: Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, and freaking Michael Jackson all died between the time we shot and the time we published, which is today. A quick check of Insights yesterday did show that only Michael Jackson has broken into the Top 5 searches. So most of what we shot is still accurate.

In any case, please watch the video with that timing in mind, and know that the next time we shoot, we'll make sure we publish much closer to shoot time. Oh, and don't forget to come back here after watching to answer the trivia question and win the lame prize. There are five chances this time!

I'm not necessarily looking to pile on Microsoft Bing or jump on the #bingfail bandwagon. But a lot has been written about how Bing's video searches often return full-motion porn that's not easily blocked, while its SafeSearch options are incredibly easy to turn off. Lately, I've run into a very specific issue with Bing that is both hilarious and indicative of the problem with overly broad filtering. Perhaps it's easiest to simply illustrate the problem.

Here's what happens when I conduct a Google image search for my name.

Here's what Bing returns.

As it turns out, there is an adult film star who shares the name Molly Wood. I know. Bummer for me. So, Bing has apparently decided that any image search for my name is simply too dangerous to return any results at all. And the only recourse for me to find the perfectly innocent images you see in the Google results above is to turn off the SafeSearch filter and take my chances on the porn star showing up. So, I tried that. And I am scarred for life. (Do not do this!) Apparently Bing doesn't even know I exist, but I now know a whole lot about the other Molly Wood, if you know what I'm saying.

I know this isn't a problem most of you are likely to run into, but to me, it's indicative that Bing's got some pretty big kinks to work out (so to speak), in terms of its algorithm and determining relevant results. Then again, Yahoo seems to think I'm a puppy. Maybe I just have some personal SEO issues.

UPDATE: As of today (one day after this post was published), a Bing image search on my name returns plenty of perfectly SFW images, and many of them are even of me! I am a little curious about this guy, though.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

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Go to Tools and select Manage Add-ons.

Then select Search providers.

You'll see Microsoft Live Search and whichever options you chose during install. If that was Live Search, that's all you'll see.

Now click Find more search providers.

You'll get a list of various options. Press "Add to Internet Explorer" to add the providers you want. Each time you'll get the option to make it a default search provider, and include terms in the suggested search terms. If you don't see your favorite. Scroll to the bottom and click "Create your own search provider."

Now open a new tab, and enter the URL of the search engine you want to include. Search for the word TEST in all capital letters. Copy the URL of the search results page by highlighting it and pressing the "Windows" and "C" keys at the same time.

Now click back to the tab that says "crate your own search provider." Use the "Windows" and "V" keys to paste the URL you copied earlier into the box marked URL. Then give the search engine a name. And press Install Search Provider. If you want to make this your default search provider, check that box. Then press Add one more time.

Now when you type a keyword in the search box, icons for all the search engines you selected will show up. Just click on one with your mouse to search the keywords you typed in that engine.

Internet Explorer 8 has a new feature that lets you get a lot done just by highlighting words on a Web page. Here's how to take advantage.

Highlight any text on a Web page by holding down the left mouse button and dragging your cursor over the words. You'll see a blue box with an arrow. Click on that and you'll get a list of options.

If, for instance, you're highlighting an address, you can choose to map it on Google Maps, pinpointing the location. It can also do regular Web searches.

Let's say you're reading a column and you want to know more about the author. Highlight the author's name and choose search. You'll get search results for that person. You can also translate a phrase, e-mail certain text, and even blog with Windows live.

These options are called Accelerators by Microsoft. If you want to customize your options, highlight text, click the blue box, then select all accelerators--that gives you a bunch more options, including the capability to manage accelerators. Select that option. From there, you can disable or remove accelerators. Or click Find more accelerators and you'll go to a page where you can add many more.

This week's Top 5 gives you a look inside the group mind of the United States. We took a look at Google's search reports to find out what searches had been the big gainers over the past three months. Sort of a peek into the collective psyche of the country.

Go to addons.mozilla.org and search for SimpleSearch. While it's still in the experimental stage, you'll have to log in to use it.

After you've installed the add-on, go to a page on the Web and highlight a word. Right click and highlight the search option.

Choose the search engine you want.

And you'll be taken to that search.