Thanko NB-mate: Road Warrior’s Dream!
September 8th, 2006 at 01:25am madgunde
I just read this Engadget post about what could be the ultimate road warrior device made by a Japanese company named Thanko. The NB-mate is apparently a USB 2.0 powered hub, that can be used to power/charge USB based devices. It’s also a AA battery recharger and portable speaker system. To top it all off, when unplugged, if you load it up with 4 AA batteries, it will actually run your USB powered devices off the AA batteries!
If there is an Ultimate Road Warrior Gadget contest, this one should definitely at least get nominated. I’ve been looking for a portable USB 2.0 hub that could double as a stand-alone USB charger for a while, seeing as nearly all of my mobile gadgets can be charged off of USB*, but the extra features of the NB-mate could also come in handy for those long trips.
According to EnGadget, the unit sells for around $50US. They have lots of info on their website, but it’s unfortunately only in Japanese. Anyone who can read Japanese is welcome to post some translations in the comments. Thanko, if you’re reading this, I’ll be happy to evaluate and review this product if you want to send one my way. 
*My Sony PSP, Palm TX, MOTORAZR V3i and iPod nano can all be charged off a powered USB port. Now if only Canon made their digital cameras USB chargeable.
Entry Filed under: Computing, Gadgets, Hardware
4 Comments Add your own
1. Tough Girl | September 8th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
WOW! This gadget is definitely a must for all the travelers out there. Just think of the all that extra space you will save if you do not have to bring every power adapter for every mobile gadget…. Is this device available to Canadian customers?
2. madgunde | September 8th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Unfortunately, according to Gizmodo, the NB-mate is only available in Japan, for now.
3. rainking187 | September 28th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
I’m a bit confused by this comment: “To top it all off, when unplugged, if you load it up with 4 AA batteries, it will actually run your USB powered devices off the AA batteries!” does this mean that it will only actually charge the iPod when it is plugged into the wall via the AC adapter? I can’t charge the iPod with the batteries?
4. madgunde | September 29th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
rainking187, it will charge your USB devices from the batteries as there’s no distinction between the power used to use or to charge. Unfortunately we don’t have any details as to how much juice a set of 4 AA batteries will give your iPod, and if you’re using your iPod at the time, you may drain power as fast as it charges.
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