Ubiquity is a Command Line for Firefox

By Josh | August 28, 2008

It’s been a busy week for me, so I’m sorry that I haven’t had the time to post anything. I’m trying to get used to my new schedule of classes, while also working a part time job and trying to finish unpacking and arranging things in my apartment.

I’m a Firefox addon addict, and whenever I see something that has a potential of making things easier for me then I’ll usually give it a try. I also like addons that make Firefox better looking so that it is easier to look at. Ubiquity doesn’t make anything look better, but it does add some functionality that could definitely improve the way you use your browser.

Now, I know the title of my post says that Ubiquity is a command line for Firefox, but I think of it more as a launcher of sorts. It reminds me of Enso, and the reason for that is probably because it was made by the same people, as far as I know. There are certain commands that you use to accomplish different things on the internet that you would usually have to do with multiple pages open. Also, it is very easy to find a map just by typing “map” followed by the location that you want to see. Then, say you have your Gmail window open, you can easily insert the map into a new message.

Right now, Ubiquity doesn’t have a lot of commands, but they are making it so that other people can make their own commands and share them with others. If you find a site that contains commands for Ubiquity, you may subscribe to them. Probably the best way for you to see what it has to offer is to download it. They have made a video describing what it does, which I’m posting below.

Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

It’s not something that I’m using a lot right now, but as it improves I know it could turn into a great tool. Basically the only things I’ve used on it so far are the Twitter, Google Calendar, and map functions. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.