Ember smart mug: keep the coffee at the best temperature for a longer time

Brewed coffee has a small bite that can bring it down to the desired temperature, but sometimes it gets cold quickly, especially when something else distracts you in the morning. California-based Ember Technologies has developed a coffee cup that claims to keep your drink at the right temperature for a long time, and users can set the temperature through the appropriate smartphone app or turn the bottom of the cup.

The Ember mug holds 12 ounces (350ml) and uses patented hot and cold phase change technology to keep the coffee or tea in the cup at an ideal temperature for about 2 hours. Phase change materials change from one state to another at different temperatures. For example, in a hot environment, it changes from a solid to a liquid, absorbing and storing heat in the process. When it is cold, it returns to the solid state and releases heat.

There are many possibilities for this material. Researchers explore its applications in buildings, robots, new refrigerators and mugs. After some efforts, German scientists developed a phase-change mug in 2009, saying that the ideal temperature for coffee could be maintained for 30 minutes, while in 2013, researchers developed a mug that could last "for hours."

It's only a matter of time before these premium mugs are sure to be used with an app. Connected to your smartphone through Bluetooth LE, Ember can provide you with more and more practical functions.

In the beginning, the user can give the cup a name, set an ideal temperature, and the application will notify the user when the boiling drink is cool enough to drink. The company said Ember took the initiative to lower the drink to the set temperature instead of waiting for it to cool down naturally. Different temperatures can also be preset for different types of drinks. If you like 136 F coffee, but like 142 F tea, you can easily change it at the last input in the application.

If you find it more troublesome to set up an application (which is usually the case, let's all accept it), there is an easy way to adjust the temperature of the Ember by having a rotating temperature disk under the display screen that displays the temperature. The mug is charged by a wireless charging board, which can also be used as a cup holder, which can be fully charged in 1.5 hours.

Ember is Indiegogo crowdfunding, and early Bird is priced at $109. if all goes according to plan, it will ship in April 2016.