Firefox's Ubiquity

Yesterday Mozilla launched a new experimental browser plug-in that's going to change the way people interact with the web. You're used to telling Firefox where you want to go by typing web addresses into the URL bar.

With Ubiquity installed, you'll be able to tell Firefox what you want it to do by typing commands (in plain language) into a new Ubiquity input box.

For example, suppose you want to post something to Twitter. You bring up the Ubiquity window in Firefox and type the command:
twitter I'm experimenting with Ubiquity right now.
Then hit Enter. That's it, you posted to Twitter.


Another example. Right now, the email command uses Google Mail. Eventually the command should work with all major web-based email providers. Assuming you're logged into your GMail account, issue email. Then type something like:
email hello to mark,
assuming Mark is in your GMail contacts list. You'll be taken to your Gmail account, you click Send, and there you go.


Other things you can do with Ubiquity are look up something on Wikipedia, find a map, translate, calculate, search YouTube and Flickr, and lots more.

You can download Ubiquity at Mozilla Labs.

Here's a Ubiquity user tutorial.