The Georgia Department of Public Safety was hit by a ransomware infection Friday that affected state patrol, capitol police and the Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance Division, which does safety inspections. Laptops installed in police cars lost connectivity and access to police information as a result, CNET sister site ZDNet reported Monday. Ransomware attacks use malware …

Cheeps! Quick reminder that my vacation starts tomorrow; I’ll be back next Wednesday. I’m leaving you in very capable, very cheap hands. But before I go, a little nugget of news: The Cheapskate Mystery Box fundraiser launches Monday, Aug. 12. And we’re using a lottery system so everyone has an equal chance at getting one. Woot! Stay tuned for more. …

PBS and PBS Kids channels will soon be available to cord cutters who subscribe to YouTube TV. The public broadcaster said Monday that it’s secured spots on YouTube TV, which offers more than 70 live TV channels, on-demand video and a cloud-based DVR for $50 per month. This is the first digital partnership of its kind for PBS, according to …

Amazon has quietly put a big selection of high-end tabletop and board games on sale. This lineup is largely different from the (also excellent) Prime Day tabletop lineup, so if you didn’t find exactly what you were looking for then, you might see it be below.  Now playing: Watch this: Does the Nintendo Switch Lite make the 3DS irrelevant?… 3:53 …

Fortnite turned 2 years old on Thursday and Epic Games is hosting a party for the players in the form of Birthday Challenges. The Birthday Bash will last until July 31 and, luckily, the tasks are simple enough to finish in a few hours. Also running during that time are the Overtime Challenges, which are extra missions to help players level …

With the Department of Justice finally giving T-Mobile’s $26.5 billion merger with Sprint a thumbs-up, the US wireless industry can begin preparing for its new reality. Sprint is going away, T-Mobile is getting a lot bigger and Dish — after years of hoarding spectrum — is set to become a fourth wireless competitor.  With the wide reach of the deal, …

AT&T has won a $984 million, 15-year contract to help upgrade the US Department of Justice’s technology systems. The deal will see AT&T move more than 120,000 DOJ employees in 2,100 offices to a new communications platform for mobile voice and data, cybersecurity and cloud services. While it doesn’t cover 5G for now, the next-generation networking service could be added …

I’ve been a mom for four years. For half that time, I pumped breast milk. Like many working mothers, I spent countless hours locked in windowless rooms, half undressed with what looked like two airhorns latched to my chest and surrounded by the loud grating noise of the motor. By comparison, using an pump by Elvie — which is trying to redesign …

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will come in pink, according to a report. New images posted by German tech publication WinFuture show a coral-pink color similar to the flamingo pink option available for the Samsung Galaxy S10. The images come from official marketing, the Monday report says. The Note 10 is expected to be launched Aug. 7 during a Samsung Unpacked event …

Displays that wrap around the edges of modern high-end Android phones have been increasing in popularity since the first Samsung Galaxy Note Edge in 2014. As companies now look to extend the bendable display idea to foldable phones, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is continuing to stretch out the edges of wraparound screens on more traditional devices.  In a new prototype …

In this week’s Apple Core roundup, we recap the new features we’re expecting to see in Apple‘s next batch of iPhones in September, and discuss how Apple is betting big on 5G with its billion-dollar acquisition of Intel’s modem business. We also break down the latest rumors about the next MacBook Pro, Apple Watch and Apple’s mixed-reality headset. Now playing: …

Facebook’s ‘Like’ button might not appear to be one of the internet’s most complex tools, but there’s more to the little upturned thumb than meets the eye. Some companies, for instance, use that Like button on their websites as a plugin, and on Monday Europe’s top court decided that they are jointly responsible with Facebook for the transfer of people’s …

Uber is reportedly laying off 400 employees from its marketing team in an attempt to cut costs, according to The New York Times. The news comes during a shaky period for Uber as it attempts to gain footing as a public company.  “Many of our teams are too big, which creates overlapping work, makes for unclear decision owners, and can lead …

One could argue that remote controls are in the process of going away thanks to voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa. Logitech, the industry leader in universal remote controls, has noted this and even incorporates Alexa into its latest Harmony Express. For those who still hold affection for the venerable, no-voice clicker there are still some options out there. One of …

Debra Lee, the first African-American to serve on Twitter’s board of directors, is stepping down from the role in August after more than three years, according to a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. Twitter’s announcement came on the same day AT&T announced that Lee would be joining its board of directors. “Twitter is a terrific company …