Even though you may never actually use Internet Explorer to browse the Internet, you should never delete it from your Windows machine because it used by other applications (even if you never actually do!) Learn why you should keep Internet Explorer up to date, and then, simply ignore it by reading this article from Ask Leo.

Both the Chrome and Firefox browsers have the ability to add themes, which are graphic add-ons that add header illustrations and a bit of personality to your browsing experience. For Chrome, Google has an official theme repository in the Chrome Web Store, although you can find themes at other sites as well. For Firefox, visit Mozilla Add-Ons. Although Safari doesn’t have a theme function per se, you can find ways to spruce it up at Pimp My Safari.

A recent, high profile murder trial in Florida used search history to incriminate the plaintiff. Just how much of your history actually remains on your personal computer? Leo Notenboom, of Ask-Leo.com, explains that unless you have spyware installed on your computer, your every keystroke is not being recorded. However, there is a fair amount of history that is available. He also reviews various programs and how useful they are at removing some of that history.

Users of Google’s Chrome browser have one-click access to private browsing through use of the “incognito mode.” When operating incognito, Chrome will not save cookies, browsing history, passwords, form data, or download history. To switch to incognito mode, click the tools wench (in the upper right-hand corner) and select “New Incognito Window.” To learn more, read Google Tutor or Google Help.

Need a bit of inspiration (and fun) to help you reach the ultimate techie goal of an empty email inbox? 0Boxer is a browser-based game for Gmail users that turns clearing your inbox into a social competition, complete with badges for reaching certain milestones. Earn points for archiving, deleting and replying, and see how you stack up against your friends! The free 0Boxer game plugin is currently available for both Chrome and Safari browsers.

One of the conveniences of modern browsers is the URL suggestions that appear from your browser history as you type URLs into your address bar. But what if one of those historical URLs is incorrect? There is a way to delete a single URL without deleting all your history. In Firefox, it is simple. In your address bar drop down, highlight the errant URL, and press Shift+Delete. In Internet Explorer, you’ll need to edit the Windows registry. Learn how from Raymond.cc.

Ever needed to share large files with friends and family? Many sites, such Dropbox offer free space on their servers, but the Opera browser offers a different approach that keeps the files on your own computer yet enables sharing. The feature is called Opera Unite, and the behind-the-scenes magic will stream shared content such as music and photo galleries, or even let you host a Web page. Learn more from Opera or Lifehacker.

Now that Google has released beta versions of its Chrome browser for Mac and Linux, they’ve opened the doors to their Chrome extensions directory. Naturally, top ten lists are cropping up everywhere. Here are two, one from Computerworld and one from Download Squad.

The official Firefox Add-Ons page lists thousands of browser extensions, sorted by category and organized into collections, for customizing your browsing experience. The Reference Desk is one such collection that includes thirteen add-ons to help students and researches sort and organize data.

If you’ve never tried mind mapping as a brainstorming tool, the free version of Mind Meister is a great place to start. Mind Meister is an online tool used in a browser, but your maps can be published to any website or exported as an image or PDF. Although you are limited to just six mind maps in the free version, teachers and students can upgrade to the Academic version for just $15 a year.