osx-like "open" in ubuntu/gnome

[Johannes Behr]

Hi,

there is a nice osx-command line tool called "open" which is for me a 
real killer-app :)

from the osx-man page:

    The open command opens a file (or a directory or URL), just as if 
you had
     double-clicked the file's icon. If no application name is 
specified, the
     default application as determined via LaunchServices is used to 
open the
     specified files.

     You can specify one or more file names (or pathnames), which are inter-
     preted relative to the shell or Terminal window's current working 
direc-
     tory. For example, the following command would open all Word files 
in the
     current working directory:

     $open *.doc

Is there a similar tool in ubuntu/gnome:  I just would like to type

    $open foo.pdf

and evince (or whatever is registered as default app) opens the pdf-file.

regards,
  Johannes