Turn off Google Instant [Solved]

I hate google instant when using Firefox.  It steers away from my original search terms, and on flaky connections it is a pain in the arse.

The settings on google, to turn off instant are cookie based and depending on your browser settings, instant my be back on when you restart your browser.  So many people have complained on the web about this and still google have not done anything to help the people out.

Frequent complaints include:

• Steering away from the users original search terms.
• Network congestion from multiple call backs to google servers.
• Halting of instant due to multiple call backs causing instant to freeze.
• The ability to opt out of instant not sticking on browsers.

There have been a few solutions on the web so far, some which have temporally worked or not at all.  These include Firefox / Greasemonkey plugins.

Only one solution so far has seemed to work, i involves changing setting on browser and is not cookie or session based.  This solution will not follow you around but at least will disable instant on the computer you set it on, and it will stick.

Reference:  http://www.ehow.com/how_7190054_disable-instant-search-permanently-firefox.html

Press the "Ctrl" and letter "N" keys to open a new Firefox browser window. Type "About:Config" in the address bar. Press the "Enter" key.

Read the warning. Press the "I'll Be Careful, I Promise!" button.

Type "Firefox" in the blank field labeled "Filter."

Double-click on the following entry to open a dialog box: "general.useragent.extra.firefox."

Type "www.google.com" into the blank field. Click the "OK" button to close the dialog box. Exit out of the browser window.

Open a new Firefox browser session and navigate to Google's search engine page. Begin typing in search terms and notice no instant!

How to add Secure Google to Firefox

Surfing the web is great, but there is always a possibility that someone could be listening in on your traffic.  Running SSL encrypted sessions help, as long as you attentive enough to check the verifying signature and it possibly? could give you a indication if someone is doing a MITM attack + SSLSTRIP at the same time.

Google have introduced SSL encrypted searches some time ago, the search address can easily be recognised by the https:// URL and the indication of a padlock on the bottom left hand corner of the Firefox browser.

To add Secure Google search in firefox:

Go to Firefox add-ons page and search for Secure Google, proceed add it to Firefox.

 
 Once that is done, select Secure Google Search from the search bar.

Enjoy secure searches, note the verification authority and the https:// in the URL bar.