This week in Tech Reads: tracking down hackers, peering inside a marketing “war room,” examining gender on Facebook, and more.
Nicole Perlroth profiles Brian Krebs, the security blogger who first uncovered numerous hacking events, including the recent Target credit card hack. [The New York Times]
Brendan Farrington shows how federal prisoners are using smuggled cell phones to plot escapes, executions, and more. [Talking Points Memo]
Timaree Schmit provides insight into the importance of Facebook’s recent move to offer a plethora of gender categories for user profiles. [Geekadelphia]
Joe Pappalardo rides along on an Air Force test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. [Popular Mechanics]
Susan Krashinsky peeks into Oreo’s Olympics marketing “War Room,” where the brand’s signature, cheeky Twitter campaign is hatched in real time. [The Globe and Mail]
Mat Honan looks at our antiquated online use of usernames, and how we might grow beyond them. [Wired]
Image: Roguish runaway stars can have a big impact on their surroundings as they plunge through the Milky Way galaxy. Their high-speed encounters shock the galaxy, creating arcs, as seen in this newly released image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech