By Nick Salter, Junior Strategist

Our weekly round-up of the things that inspired us, challenged our thinking or left us with a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

Ubuntu for Android
A testament to the power of smartphone computing power, the Ubuntu for Android project is an amazing triumph in utilising a smartphone docked to a display as though it’s a desktop computer. Using a Motorola Atrix running some flavour of Android, the concept is simple: for everyday carrying in your pocket the phone runs ‘droid, but as soon as you dock it to a larger display, Ubuntu boots up allowing you access to full versions of desktop apps (web browsers, LibreOffice, etc). The video’s in Portuguese, but don’t let that stop you from catching a glimpse of the future of mobile.

How Google builds its maps—and what it means for the future of everything
The Atlantic takes a look into Google’s Ground Truth: a secretive project that allows Google to build and maintain the most accurate maps ever. Settle in for a deep-dive into Google’s data mining and mapping and how it’s bridging the gap between the physical and digital world.

Whoa, dude, are we inside a computer right now?
Are we trapped in The Matrix? One NASA scientist thinks it’s possible we’re all living inside a computer simulation.

The iPhone 5 forecast: a predictable 73 degrees and sunny
The Verge talks the new iteration of the iPhone and how the device is pretty great, but radical by no means. What will the future hold for Apple?