309: Who Says Girls Don't Read Comics?

Five Minute Tech News

U.S. Postal Service gets hacked, Thor is a hit, Pirate Bay founder is freed, Google leases an airfield, Apple frees your phone, and Sriracha2Go is a real thing.

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• U.S. Postal Service falls to hackers despite 'relentless weapon' of security
  The U.S. Postal Service reported that it has been the victim of a data breach which has potentially disclosed personal information not only about 500,000 Postal Service personnel, but also regarding customers who dealt with its call centre between January and August of 2014. The details said to have been compromised are not believed to have included credit card or other financial critical information, but do include contact details including names and addresses, email addresses, and phone details.
• Help the GNOME Foundation defend the GNOME trademark
  The GNOME project is raising money for a trademark fight against Groupon. The project, which maintains a popular open-source desktop environment, claims that Groupon's new Gnome tablet infringes on the project's copyright. They're seeking $80,000 to challenge Groupon's trademark claim. I wonder what Richard Stallman thinks about that?
• AT&T Abandons Plans for In-Flight Wireless Service (Updated) | Re/code
  AT&T is abandoning an in-flight wireless initiative that would have positioned it to compete with services such as Gogo. The nation’s second-largest wireless carrier had announced plans this spring to bring high-speed 4G LTE wireless service to flights as soon as next year through a partnership with Honeywell. The carrier issued a statement Monday reversing course, saying it has decided to “no longer pursue entry into the inflight connectivity industry.” AT&T said instead it plans to devote its resources to expanding its international presence through deals including the $2.5 billion offer to acquire Iusacell, a wireless company in Mexico. It is also focusing on “transformative investments” such as its $48.5 billion plan to acquire DirecTV, which would allow AT&T to offer consumers a bundle of services that would include pay TV, broadband Internet and wireless service.
• Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Released From Prison | TorrentFreak
  Former Pirate Bay spokesperson Peter Sunde is a free man again after five months in prison for copyright infringement. He had been on the run for two years before being arrested in southern Sweden this May.
• Messenger Reaches 500 Million | Facebook Newsroom
  Facebook has announced that over 500 million people are using its Messenger app. In a blog post, Facebook said, "Today more than 500 million people are using Messenger each month and we’re more committed than ever to make it the best possible messaging experience." In related news, 500 million people are annoyed that they have to install two apps now.
• "Walking Dead" Tops 325K in October, Female-led "Thor" Debuts with 150K in Sales - Comic Book Resources
  Marvel's new female Thor is a hit. The debut issue was the third-best selling comic in October with 150,000 copies sold, outselling both Spider-Man and Batman. The top trade last month was Ms. Marvel number one. Who says girls don't read comics?
• Google Takes Over Operations Of Moffett Airfield From NASA, Will Invest $200M Into The Site | TechCrunch
  After years of using Moffett Field as the home and launch pad for the private jets of Google’s founders, the company has agreed to a deal in which it will lease the airfield from NASA for the next 60 years. As part of the lease, Google will take over operations of the airfield while the U.S. government retains ownership of the land. In a press release, NASA announced that Planetary Ventures LLC, a shell organization operated by Google for real estate deals, will contribute $1.16 billion over the course of the lease, while reducing the government agency’s maintenance and operation costs by $6.3 million annually. The best part of the press release is this quote from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden: “As NASA expands its presence in space, we are making strides to reduce our footprint here on Earth,” he says.
• Deregister and Turn Off iMessage - Apple Support
  If you've switched from iPhone to Android, you know how hard it can be to disconnect your phone number from iMessage. Now Apple has finally released a tool to deregister iMessage from your number. Just enter your phone number on the Web site, then enter the code that's sent to your phone. There's currently a class-action lawsuit against Apple over lost messages, and that probably had a little something to do with it.
• Sriracha2Go: A miniature refillable sriracha bottle.
  You can now keep Sriracha in your pocket. Sriracha2Go is a keychain-sized bottle that you can fill with a day's supply of the hot sauce. One bottle costs $7. Or you can buy 3 for $15 or 10 for $35. But be prepared to wait — they're on a 45-day backorder.

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