**Updated, See Below**

OpenDNS, a great DNS service that promises faster browsing and other cool features, now offers a new service simply called “Shortcuts.” This new service allows you to define specific keywords to type into your browser address bar that will automatically redirect you to the specified page. For example: you could set it up so that when you type “Cool Dude” into your browser, you automatically go here to egonitron.com

The service offers a lot of cool options, such as setting it up on a corporate intranet so when users type in “time” they go straight to their timecard service to clock in or out. Other features this offers are very cool, but the problem is, you have to be signed in for this to work. If you clear cookies regularly, you have to sign in each time your cookies are cleared.

This creates a problem, because FireFox has a great feature that allows you to type anything into your address bar, and it will take you either to the first relevant result in Google, or to the Google search page. So when I type “Google Calendar” into the address bar, I automatically go to Google Calendar. This doesn’t work anymore, and that sucks. Even if I don’t use the OpenDNS Shortcuts feature, if I’m using them for my DNS settings (which I have been for a long time,) they take me to an OpenDNS page instead.

Is anybody from OpenDNS listening? Is there a way for me to change this?

**Update: I’d like to thank John Roberts from OpenDNS for the quick response to this post. He clarifies that you indeed do not need to be logged in to use this Shortcuts feature, which solves my problems with the service and allows me to use the “google calendar” example above successfully. I’d like to thank OpenDNS for another great service!

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