Wolfram Research has teamed up with open-source software maker Canonical to bring its data collection services to Ubuntu-powered mobile devices. The new application gives Ubuntu phones the ability to send location, acceleration, rotation, and brightness data directly to Wolfram's cloud-based data repository called Data Drop. It effectively turns any Ubuntu phone into an Internet of Things device, creating data that can be utilized like any other data source in Wolfram's system.

Wolfram launched Data Drop last year, a storage solution for data created by IoT devices and programs. It initially allowed people to grab data from web API, email, Twitter, web forms, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and various supported mobile devices. But mobile phones were not directly supported until now (although there apparently is a hack for Android devices).

Wolfram and Canonical are running a competition on Twitter and offering prizes for the most original findings people turn up with their phones. The competition launched on Monday with the hashtag #UbuntuWolfram.