An Interview with Converge’s Jin Chai

Now that Converge has been released into the wild, we wanted to give a behind-the-scenes look at its origins.

We caught up with Quirky inventor Jin Chai to ask him the tough questions.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I currently live in the sunny state of California. But my hometown is the beautiful emerald city: Seattle. I have passion for lots of things, but invention excites me the most. I am thrilled to be involved with Quirky. They made my dreams come true.

2. When did you join Quirky?

January of 2011

3. How did you find out about us?

I think I was watching coverage of the 2011 CES on YouTube. I noticed a floor reporter showcasing the Quirky products. They were cool products, but I was more interested in the Quirky movement.

4. When and how did you think up the idea for this product?

It’s common for every household to have one or more iPods. My family has six iPods but only one main desktop PC to charge/sync them all. I noticed a lot of clutter created by many sync cables. My family members were fighting over who got to use the computer next. To solve this problem, I thought about having some kind of docking system that has one power line with independent ports for each type of Apple device. I called it iDuckling. To use it, you would simply dock each device next to the other and you could connect as many as needed. iDuckling would eliminate the desktop clutter, and finally bring an end to the family fights! The original iDuckling docking station was only targeted for Apple brands but the Quirky community decided to go with universal charging station.

5. Had you tried to make this thing on your own already?

No, but I still want to build the iDuckling station for Apple maniacs.

6. What do you think of the final product?

The final product looks awesome. It has a simple design and it looks easy to use. I can’t wait to have it on my desk.

7. In your opinion, what is the most innovative product ever invented?

LED lights. They are poised to end the light bulb era.

8. What inspires you?

Tech gadgets, movies, music, fishing, soccer, food; a bit of everything.

9. What are some of your quirks?

I tend to keep my things in the same location so I don’t have to search for them.

10. What’s your favorite cereal? Deli meat?

Any cereal with nuts and dried fruit. Roast beef is the best deli meat.

11. Any parting words?

Big thanks to Ben, the Quirky team, the community, and those of you who bought Converge. Rock on!