Japanese company unveils micro-USB hub for smartphones, tablets

Even though loads of accessories for mobile devices nowadays are wireless, there are a lot of useful wired gadgets that can be connected to a smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, the vast majority of mobile devices feature only one micro-USB port today. However, a company from Japan has released a tiny thing that can solve the problem.

System Talks, a maker of accessories from Japan, this week introduced the Sugoi Hub, a small device with one micro-USB connector and two micro-USB receptacles. The hub measures by 27.5mm*10.6mm*6.4mm and weighs hardly more than a couple of grams. The gadget is compatible with USB 1.1/2.0 and USB OTG standards and requires 81mA for operation. According to the manufacturer, it is possible to plug in devices with USB type-A connectors to the hub using a special adapter.

The micro-USB hub will be particularly useful for tablets running Microsoft Windows operating system, which support a wide array of peripherals. Users of Google Android-based slates could also benefit from two micro-USB ports instead of one. Still, given the fact that loads of mobile accessories nowadays are wireless, usage models for such hubs are relatively limited.

System Talks Sugoi micro-USB hub will be available in Japan and at Amazon later this month. The price of the device is ¥980 (£5.3, $8.15, €7.2) excluding taxes.

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KitGuru Says: While it is cool to have two ports instead of one, the question is, does anyone really need them on a mobile device. Do you? Share your thoughts in comments or on Facebook.

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