Allison interviews Brandon Thweatt from j5create about their Matter-enabled Smart Plugs and new Thunderbolt 5 dock.
Brandon starts by explaining that Matter allows smart devices made by different companies to interact with various home automation systems using a common standard. So Matter-enabled devices can be controlled through and work seamlessly across Apple, Android, and Alexa automation environments.
Brandon then shows j5create’s Matter-enabled smart power strip with 4 AC power outlets, 3 USB-A ports, and 1 USB-C port. Each of the power/control ports can be controlled individually using home automation routines. J5create also offers individual Matter-enabled smart plugs.
Next, Brandon shows j5create’s new Dual AK60 docking station with USB-A and USB-C/Thunderbolt 5 ports, a 3.5mm audio port, an ethernet port, and an SD card slot.
Learn more at http://j5create.com/
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Transcript of Interview:
Allison: I like to stop by the j5create booth every single year because there are so many fun accessories. I asked Brandon Thweatt to talk to us and he says, “Well, we got about a million things here. What do you want to talk about?” And we decided out of all of the different accessories that are a lot of cross-platform stuff, but definitely many for the iPhone and Macs and things like that, but we’re going to focus on Matter today, right?
Brandon: That’s correct, yes.
Allison: So what is your offering? Talk to us about Matter. Give a brief explanation of why we would care. Why does Matter matter?
Brandon: Definitely. Matter is essentially a chip set that allows you to have any device, whether it’s Android, whether it’s Alexa, whether it’s Apple, to interface with your everyday home devices. So you get a power strip, maybe it’s a power strip, maybe it’s an individual plug that has the Matter technology. Then what that allows you to do is you can interface our products right with your Apple home environment, like I said before, whether it’s Alexa, whatever, in the app or voice control and you can turn everyday products such as a lamp that does not already have that smart feature into a smart product.
Allison: It’s like making it instantly HomeKit compatible but none of the words around that. It’s just because it’s Matter, it talks to it.
Brandon: I would say home automation is a great thing that can be done here. Home automation and basically just making a smart home, if you will. You can do a lot with Matter and with the technologies revolving around it, for sure.
Allison: I don’t know. I like having completely individual apps and having to manage everything separately on my network. That’s more fun.
Brandon: Yeah, well, fair enough. Like I said, it’s all…
Allison: I’m kidding.
Brandon: Yeah, well, it is all set up in the app. You can use it. I’m sure there could be some other apps out there. But again, the biggest things, either whether you’re doing voice control, whether you’re running a script. So if I walk by, maybe I have a motion sensor. When I walk by the motion sensor, I want this light over here to turn on or I want this fan to turn off or whatever the case might be. Different workflows that you can make depending on your operating system.
Allison: Okay, so but that’s all controlled within Alexa or wait, within what app?
Brandon: Within Alexa’s app, within a Google Home app, within the Apple Home app. So within your respective environment, I guess.
Allison: So you’re saying your environment, but these could work for anybody. So that means you’ve got a better market share for you’re not having to do individual companies. That’s great. So what kind of products does J5Create have?
Brandon: From my understanding, I know we have this one that is behind me right now. That’s a larger power strip, four AC ports and a couple of USB-C and Type A ports. I believe we have just generally just some different formatted ones around this. We have one that’s a little bit bigger. Maybe it’s got like, I think, eight ports. We have one that’s a little bit smaller. I don’t know the exact details off the top of my head.
Allison: But part of this is going to be everybody needs to go to j5Create.com at the end and look for these things. But that’s a category. What else do you have here?
Brandon: Beyond Matter?
Allison: No, on this board right here.
Brandon: Well, the biggest thing, like I said, it’s going to be this right here, as well as this right here. That’s just the individual plug. So it has the same functions as any one of these individual ones would have, except it’s just a single, you know, travelable plug. So you can put it a little bit more easy to kind of just fit it into one socket and not have to worry about a bigger power strip. So it’s just this one.
Allison: So that’s just, I got my Christmas tree, I’m going to plug in. I just need that.
Brandon: Right.
Allison: Okay. And do you know what your price point is on something like that?
Brandon: That one specifically, I’m not aware of right now.
Allison: But in general, you guys are really reasonably priced. You’re not high end pricing. You’re affordable.
Brandon: I would say so. I would say so. You get a competitive price for a quality product. I just do not know the MSRP on this. I unfortunately can’t give you a range. I can tell you this might give you an idea. This is $49.99 USD.
Allison: And that’s the power strip he’s talking about with four ports. Yeah. So four smart plugs. That’s fantastic. Yeah, that’s really reasonable. Now you’ve got a motion sensor up there too?
Brandon: Yes. So that’s, this is just another motion sensor. I’m not currently aware of any Matter related motion sensors that we are developing.
Allison: Oh, so this is Matter or it is not?
Brandon: No, this is just a regular old motion sensor that can be set up. This is again, just something we just bought to just show that like, here’s this use case you could use for it. Not actually functioning right now. And this one specifically is not made by us right now. We’re just talking about these two products essentially.
Allison: Yeah. Gotcha. Gotcha. Well, what else do you want to show us here?
Brandon: Well, if you want to see specific Matter, I can show you the other environments. Again, it’s the same setup essentially. It’s just different. It’s just examples.
Allison: I got you. It’s just examples.
Brandon: I mean, you can see a working function if you want. Like if I want to turn off this lamp right here, I click that button for example.
Allison: There’s the lamp. So I see. So he’s got a, he’s got a column here for Apple, for Google Home, for Alexa with the same thing. So he’s controlling it directly from within HomeKit.
Brandon: If you get one of these right here, it’s set up under here.
Allison: Oh, okay. Great. Great. So you’ve got a lot of great Thunderbolt docks. What have you got here?
Brandon: Well, right now we have a Thunderbolt 5 dock, dual AK60 docking station, one of our more premier products. Got a lot of different ports on it. USB type A on the front as well as your host cable. SD micro slot, micro speaker phone slot, 3.5 millimeter right there. Behind it here, kind of a, walk around a little bit. There’s our USB-C connections. That’s what you’ll use for your displays, connect external displays up to two. A couple of type A ports there as well and an Ethernet port. And then this one right here will be where your power comes in. So you have a power brick that comes with the product itself.
Allison: Okay. Now you call these USB-C. We mean also Thunderbolt 5.
Brandon: Thunderbolt 5, correct. Thunderbolt 5 being a standard of USB-C. Those are there. But it’s a great product. Like I said, right now, from my understanding, I could be wrong about this. I don’t know of any Thunderbolt 5 laptops that are out yet. I know they’ll be here eventually.
Allison: But you guys are ready.
Brandon: Yes. That’s essentially kind of the best picture to paint, you could say.
Allison: I remember when the Thunderbolt 4 was just announced, you guys were right out there in front. You guys were ready first. So do you have any idea how much this dock is going to cost?
Brandon: This one, I’d have to look at some further information about it. I don’t know off the top of my head.
Allison: I haven’t priced your Thunderbolt 4 docks. Do you know how much the equivalent is from Thunderbolt 4?
Brandon: Something, you know, a similar product like this, Thunderbolt 4, I believe, I want to say $389.99.
Allison: That’s usually right about where they come in, yeah, for that many ports. It’s a nice looking device too.
Brandon: I would say so, yeah. It’s a sleek form factor. Try to just stick to the Thunderbolt 4 design, similar to those previous models we made, and just moving forward from there.
Allison: So we’re kind of talking at the high end here, but this place is just absolutely filled with little adapters and docks and things for your phone and things for your laptop. So there’s a lot to find over at j5Create.com.
Brandon: Yes, j5Create.com. Yes, that’s correct. I may have said it wrong earlier. So j5Create.com.
Allison: j5Create.com. That’s right. Thank you very much, Brandon.
Brandon: Yes, thank you.