Teresa Martin: A transformational coffee-warming mug?
There is, in fact, an app for that! Just as I thought I’d reached my limit of about 200 apps on my phone, I received a holiday present — something I didn’t realise I needed but ended up liking quite a bit.
And now the total number of applications stands at 201.
Folks, That is, the Ember mug. Normally, I’d be suspicious of something straightforward (a warm liquid holder) that comes with an instruction manual. However, I admit that I frequently leave a trail of mugs in my wake. I brew a cup of coffee in the morning, take a few sips, and then am dragged into a Zoom call. And a half-hour later, the flavour of the now-iced coffee astounds me. Too frequently, my lovely mug of afternoon steaming tea devolves into a half-filled vessel of forgotten amber.
Occasionally, I gulp it all down regardless.
If necessity truly is the mother of invention, then I guess I’m not alone in cringing over beverages, as a whole company is now selling temperature-controlled mugs and travel mugs via phone app. I could not possibly make this up!
For anyone who has ever sat in a restaurant and uttered the phrase “yes, please warm it up” while holding a mug in an outstretched hand, technology now provides a solution — or at the very least a couple of hours of beverage at the precise temperature specified via the app-controlled Bluetooth commands.
This product screams 2020 — it exists because Bluetooth and smart phones have permeated every aspect of life and because a sufficient number of tech natives have matured into adults with discretionary income. It exists as a result of online marketing’s support for rapid launches and as a result of Amazon’s continued success. It exists because smart sensors are ubiquitous, lithium-ion batteries pack a punch in small packages, global manufacturing opens up new opportunities, and design drives product. It exists, however, primarily because technology provides a solution for every need.
