Ubiquity is a new Firefox add-on that attempts to fix problems with the usability of the web. Developers and users alike can extend the web as they see fit. It allows you to control the web using regular language.
With search, you type what you want to find. With Ubiquity, you type what you want to do.
Here are a few ways that this new Firefox add-on can help you get things done and boost your productivity.
Schedule an Appointment
You can easily add an event to your Google Calendar using the add-to-calendar command. Simply describe your task in plain english:
add-to-calendar lunch with Louis and Scoble on Thursday
Check Your Calendar
Make sure you’re available for upcoming events with the check-calendar:
check-calendar thursday
Fire Off an Email
Sometimes I keep Gmail open in case I need to send an email real quick, but that’s no good for staying focused and on task. Ubiquity gives us the email command to make the process easier. Send a quick message by specifying a message and a contact from Gmail:
email Rahsheen is an awesome musician. Check him out. to Diddy
You can also select text and images from the page you’re on and do something like:
email this to Kyle
Add a Task to Remember The Milk
Being somewhat of a Remember The Milk fanatic, the first thing I looked for was a way to add tasks to my list. Google led me to this command:
rtm Finish mixing new song
Send a Message on Twitter
It’s possible that some people use Twitter to accomplish things besides broadcasting when they create a new blog post. For those people, you can use Ubiquity to send a tweet like this:
twitter I just ate a mango
Tying it All Together
Visit Mozilla Labs for an Introduction to Ubiquity. I recommend watching the video first. It doesn’t really make sense until you see it in action.
All of the commands above are included with Ubiquity except for the Remember The Milk command, which you can find in the Ubiquity Wiki. You’ll also find a plethora of other commands for your perusal.
Installing new commands is as simple as visiting a web page once you have the add-on installed.
Are you already using Ubiquity to increase your productivity? Tell me about it.