Daily living should be as comfortable and easy as possible. You work hard to create a relaxed environment in your home, so why not customize your Web browser to make it more useful and comfortable as well?

First, you can customize your browser toolbar. In either Internet Explorer or Firefox, just right-click on a blank area of the toolbar at the top of the page and choose Customize or Customize the Command Bar. A new window will open and when that window is on the screen, you can drag icons to or from the toolbars and rearrange them as you like.

You can also use what most browsers call add ons, to customize the look and/or functionality of the browser. These wonderful features have always been a part of the Firefox browser, but they just became available in  Internet Explorer(IE) 7, so you won't find them in previous versions of Internet Explorer. If you are using IE 7, go to Tools, then choose Manage Add-ons, then Find More Add-ons. You will find some interesting things to add functionality to your browser like spyware protection and cookie controllers.

While these Internet Explorer 7 add ons are well worth a look, if you use Firefox, you will find yourself in "customization heaven". As a matter of fact, the customization options in Firefox are so extensive that you may want to download Firefox just to try them out. Remember that Firefox is free and you can use it right alongside Internet Explorer.

Firefox allows you to change the look of the browser by using different themes. You can easily add an entirely new look to Firefox with themes. Choose a sports theme like Red Sox or Packers, make your browser look like blue ice, turn it into a NASA launch at night, or make just about everything in your browser pink. You can give Firefox a Harley Davidson theme, a cat and kitten theme, or a bible theme. Themes don't change the functionality of the browser, they only change the look. For instance, the bible theme might make the back and forward icons look like fish, and the home icon look like a church. The Harley theme will give the browser a black and orange background and a motorcycle-look.

While themes are fun, the most powerful customization comes in the form of what Firefox calls Extensions. These are browser add ons that are extremely useful and can make your browser do just about anything you want it to. The Firefox community has been creating extensions for years. All are developed by volunteers and those listed on the Firefox website are all free. There are over 800 different extensions available and like themes, they are easy to find and install.

Just  click on Tools, and choose Add Ons. Then choose the Extensions or Themes tab, then click on Get Extensions or Get Themes. You will be taken to a page where you can choose the theme or extension you want.

There are many themes to choose from and the myriad of extension choices may seem daunting, but don't be overwhelmed. Just choose one at a time and see what it does. If you don't like it, you can return to the Tools, Add Ons menu, highlight the theme or extension that you added and click on Uninstall. If you think you might like to look at it again later you can also choose Disable to temporarily turn it off. You have to restart Firefox for the changes in extensions or themes to be finalized.

With more than 800 choices, you will find that there is an extension to do just about anything you can think of. There are extensions that add search options to your toolbars, extensions that will translate words for you, and extensions that will let you listen to and control music right from your browser. Extensions will help you block ads, increase the size of text, and switch between windows and tabs. They can also help you download and manage files, give you email alerts from online email programs right in your browser, and provide anti-phishing tools. While most extensions add functionality to your browser and make it easier to use, there are also extensions that are just for fun. These include those that add quizzes and solitaire games to your browser, so you can play while you surf.  

Since each of the extensions is written by a different person, they often function differently. Some create an extra toolbar at the top of the screen. Some put icons on the top toolbar to control their functionality. Some put small icons on the bottom of the screen. Be sure to read exactly what the extension will do before you click on the install button. Sometimes after installation, you are taken to a page that explains the extension. If that happens, you may want to bookmark that page so you can return to it later. If an extension offers no explanation of how to use it, click on Tools, Add Ons, and then choose Extensions. Highlight the extension that you want more information about and click on Options.

All-in-all, extensions are the perfect personalization tool. I use several of them on a daily basis. I have an extension that changes the colors of the tabs. One that puts a magnifier on the screen. I even have one that lets me "speed dial" up to nine websites. I'll tell you more in next week's column. You might just be surprised at what extensions can do for Firefox.