A blog dedicated to Motorola Droid has leaked some photos of what looks likea Droid smartphone with a QWERTY keypad, which goes by the codename “Droid4.”

Its technical features are similar to the Droid RAZR, except that it has aslightly smaller 4-inch qHD screen, as well as the slider “edge-lit” keyboard.The Droid 4 also does not have a Kevlar backing unlike the RAZR.

Rumors circulate that the Droid 4 will be launched alongside the Droid RAZRon December 8. Both phones will be exclusively available in Verizon.

Source: Droid Life, via Engadget Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice has announced that it is testing robotguards in prisons. The one-month trial will be conducted at a prison in thecity of Pohang, located southeast of capital Seoul, starting March 2012. Theproject is expected to cost one billion won (about $ 863,000).

The robot guards are designed to patrol prison corridors and monitorconditions inside the cells. If the robots detect signs of sudden or unusualactivity, they alert the human guards. The robots also function ascommunication channels when prisoners want to contact guards in an emergencysituation.

“The robots are programmed to analyze various activities of those in prisonand identify abnormal behavior,” Professor Lee Baik-chul of Kyonggi University,who is in charge of the project, said in an interview with Wall StreetJournal.

The human wardens, according to Lee, have welcomed the idea since the robotscan reduce the workload especially at night. However, these robot guards cannotcrack down on prisoners in the event of a riot.

The project team is putting final touches to the robots to make them appearmore “humane and friendly” to the inmates.

Source: WallStreet Journal, via Engadget Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

It seemsthat ultrabooks are increasingly taking the place of netbooks in the market.Ultrabooks offer the same and even better features than the erstwhile netbooksbut with slightly larger screen sizes, making them a better option nowadays formany people. That is why many companies are now getting on board the ultrabookbandwagon by introducing their own ultrabook models. One of the more recentones is the Toshiba Portege Z830 Ultrabook Series.

The Toshiba Portege Z830 Series comes in 4 models with different internalspecs and options for different people’s needs. It is being marketed as theworld’s lightest 13-inch ultrabook. A Toshiba Portege Z830 Ultrabook canfeature an Intel Core i3, an i5 or an i7 processor. It can also have a 4GB or6GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mobile Intel HD Graphics, and a 13.3 inch widescreendisplay. It also weighs only a light 2.4 pounds. The Toshiba Portege Z830Ultrabooks are now available at Toshiba. Prices start from US$ 929 to US$ 1,429for the higher-end models.

Image Source: Toshiba Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

Me? Tired of featuring every single Hello Kittygadget out there? No way!

Japan-based Mouse Computer has just unveiled its Hello Kitty-themednotebook. The LuvBook S is an 11.6-incher with Hello Kitty sprinkled all over.The device is co-developed with Hello Kitty’s parent company Sanrio and luxurygoods maker Swarovski.

You can tell the notebook is designed by Swarovski. The lid features a HelloKitty face and heart, all made of over 1,100 Swarovski crystals. It also comeswith a variety of screen savers and walls that feature the popular cartooncat.

The specs are pretty impressive. The LuvBook S runs on Windows 7 HomePremium OS and features an LCD screen with 1,366 x 768 resolution, Intel Corei3-2330M CPU (2.20GHz), 500GB HDD, 4GB memory, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0+HS,1.3-megapixel webcam, USB 3.0 and 2.0 slots, an SD card interface, and HDMIport.

This Hello Kitty notebook has been available in Japanese retail stores forUS$ 900.

Source: MouseComputer, via TechCrunch Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

Google has announced its latest service, this time targeting the retailindustry just in time for the holidays. Google Catalogs is an app thatorganizes your favorite look books, keeping them current and in one place. Itenables you to curate product collages that can be shared (most likely onGoogle+) with your friends, family, and colleagues. The Catalogs servicecollects content from over 125 b Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a device that will inform you by text or emailwhen something happens somewhere? It would be good to have a text or an emailsent to you if your laundry’s done or just an alert in case your basement getsflooded when you are away. People with enough knowledge in hardware andprogramming can easily make a device for themselves to do these kinds ofthings. But for those w Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

ATT has annunced that its LG Nitro HD will be available for retail beginningDecember 4. It will cost $ 249.99 with a two-year contract. The Nitro HD, whichalso goes by the name Optimus LTE outside the United States, features a4.5-inch high-definition AH-IPS display with 720p resolution, a dual-core1.5GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel camera at the back,and a pre-insta Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

Are we drawing closer to the robotic age? Japanese company Kawada Industrieshas developed a humanoid robot designed to work along with humans. The Nextagerobot may not be the first of its kind, but this one is already commercialized.Nextage features a high-speed stereo camea, as well as two arms with 12 jointseach that can be positioned within 30 microns. In case a human workerapproaches the Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

The rumor mill is churning once again. This time, word has been spreadingabout the sequel of Xbox 360, which has been speculated to come in two models.The first version is a pared-down set-top box that targets casual gamers, whilethe other model would be a bit heftier in specs and will be geared towardshardcore gamers. Either way, the two versions of Xbox 360–which have beencodenamed “Xbox 7 Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com

Retail website Newegg may have revealed a more specific retail launch dateof the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet. While other sites have beenaccepting pre-orders of the device, Newegg lists the Transformer Prime with aDecember 8 release, along with a $ 499 starting price tag. The 10.1-inch AsusEee Pad Transformer Prime is a bit thick at 8.3 millimeters. It features aTegra 3 SoC processor Technology Gadgets – GuideTo.Com