TechBytes: Sidekick Sales Resume

Nov. 18, 2009— -- T-Mobile has started selling Sidekick phones again, more than a month after a meltdown wiped out the personal information on many of the phones. Most of the missing data was restored and affected customers got a $100 gift card. The phones are a little cheaper than they were before the problem surfaced. The top-of-the-line Sidekick now sells for $150 down from the original price of $175.

A new laptop from Asus is designed for hard core video gamers. The company claims the Republic of Gamers computer is the first notebook capable of producing realistic 3D visuals in games and videos. It has a 15.6 inch screen and comes with specially designed 3D glasses. The laptop also features three dimensional sound effects to match the visuals and works with about 400 PC games including World of Warcraft and the latest Batman game.

USA Today is experimenting with an electronic version of printed newspapers by seeing how college students respond. The E-Edition is currently free for students, faculty and staff at Penn State, Indiana and Missouri. It's identical to the newspaper's print edition but has additional interactive and exclusive content for each university. Newspapers have been searching for new sources of revenue as they lose readers to free online alternatives.

Scientists say they've made a breakthrough in creating a computer that can think like a living thing. Researchers at a IBM say they've simulated the thinking part of a cat's brain using a massive supercomputer. That doesn't mean the computer actually thinks like a cat, it's more about showing how thoughts are formed. One scientists says we could have a simulation of the human brain within the next decade. That could help provide insights into diverse fields such as medicine and economics.