One of my favorite productivity apps is Butler. While the “Which launcher app is better?” debate will rage interminably, I especially like Butler’s ability to perform web searches simply via a keyboard shortcut activated pop-up bezel interface. All I have do to is hit Command-Option-Control-G, and a bezel box opens, allowing me to perform a Google search no matter what app I’m in. Ditto for -M and Google maps, -V and Version Tracker, etc.
I’ve assigned this to the key combination Command-Option-Control-U, and now I can open a URL no matter what application I’m in or what I’m doing — and with almost no attention necessary to the prefix or suffix.