REVIEW - Ember App-controlled Mug
After the cassette history video last week I needed to do something a bit easier and you can’t get much simpler than a review of a mug. But this isn’t just any mug - it’s a connected mug.
It’s a lightweight video, but if everything works out I aim to have another one along in a few days to make up for it.
Hope you’re all keeping well.
Comments (80)
You are a master of comedy! "Now you know that I know they exist." I laughed out loud.
It could be argued that having to create an account for every new gadget makes us all mugs
If you print a T-shirt with your picture raising your eyebrows (the one on the top of the Teespring page) saying "Your mug is up to date", I'll buy it without thinking twice about it and wear it with pride at work ;-)
Or even better, questioning it: "Is your mug up to date?"
Its such a usefull invention. I am sick of getting cold coffee at home being stuck in back to back meetings. I did look on Costco, but cant find it, so was wondering if it sold out?
It looks like it is now. Just the travel mug is left. https://www.costco.co.uk/Appliances/Ember-Temperature-Control-Travel-Mug-White/p/2399634
Well it’s your sweet spot length, so hopefully that and the fact it’s more universal will work for you well and you get a day off!
Only became one of the Patrions this week and saw this video was posted, but ended up still waiting till Saturday morning to watch it (just now) because it’s part of my Saturday routine! Started watching saying to the wife “What a stupid invention”... by the end suggested it for my Birthday gift this year lol. This has happened with a few reviews Matt has done, last was an update for my Cube Cam to be a Cube Plus the other week! Won’t be long till I have a reel to reel probably :) Good video btw:) and now I know why you made is quite short after binge watching all your Patrion videos too!
The time needed for Patreon extra videos do mean that the videos before and after usually need to be a bit easier to make rather than filling out the whole week. Then again not all videos warrant a week’s work.
that little nick in the paint would drive me crazy. so glad you always kept it in frame :-)
"I'm applying a firmware update to a flippin' mug." OMG - I'm crying from laughing so hard. But just wait - we'll hit a new high when we get to firmware enabled lint rollers. And count me in for the "Your Mug Is Updated" t-shirt - that idea is gold. Bravo on this one Mat. I needed a solid laugh at the world we live in!
Love the mug and the video! :)
The battery life is better than the Makita battery powered coffee machine to be fair
I have both the mug and the travel tumbler, i got the tumbler when they were in their "kick starter" phase many years ago and i was in love at first sight. I would constantly make a cup of coffee and then get pulled into a meeting and come back to my desk and the coffee had gone cold. You mentioned if you leave it on the base it will keep it warm all day, but it actually does have an automatic shut off after 2 hours, if you don't pick it up. I tested with my kill-a-watt and it uses round about 35 watts when in continuous warming so its nice that it assumes if you've left for 2 hours without touching it, you're probably done with that cup. I know coffee snobs will not like this but i have made a cup left for over 2 hours, came back to a cold cup, turned it on and let it warm it clear back up to 59c (where i like mine) and it was perfectly drinkable. I'm sure if you're really into coffee you'd complain about how coffee sitting that long then reheated from cold would make for undrinkable liquid but for me its handy. One last thing is that the tumbler actually has phase change material in it that will remove heat quickly. The use case is you buy a coffee from mcdonalds that is 3rd degree scalding and you have to wait awhile to drink it, but pour it into your tumbler and the heat is rapidly removed via the phase change material and you're on your way to caffeine town much quicker. Anyway, love ember, love the video mat, take care!
Looks like the tumbler is the one to get, then! Does it run without the app? Still not particularly enthused about signing up for an account. 🙄
I was ready to not like it, but now I’m reconsidering. Dang it. It sure would be handy once I’m back in the office full time. Coffee kept hot during a boring meeting? Sign me up!
F u t u r e
For some reason I was reminded of this old Nescafe advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWnTWNDPTJo The old fashioned way to make hot coffee.
I can't wait until people start hacking the firmware on these. Being exited to see jailbroken mugs was not something I would have thought 2021 would bring....but here we are.
Cool, now even a flippin mug can track me.
Not a bad product it seems, until it comes to requiring you to register an account (WTF?) Also allowing the battery bit to be removed to submerge it/dishwasher it would have been a great innovation. Seems the silliest idea ever, but in actual fact it's not the dumbest thing once you think of the use-case. I'm going to consider a "thermo mug" version of this, surely one is available somwhere. Thanks for the review, as always, top stuff.
amazing. i wish it didn't require an account. such a silly thing on top of already requiring an app. having 9 million tiny remote controls isn't the best, but it's better than this, eh?
Hilarious product. Like you say at the end, the idea wins one over. I might actually consider a purchase IF: * I could run it in the dishwasher every now and then. * It had a built-in temperature adjustment, like you mention. * I wouldn't need a silly account in order to use it. 😒 But, most importantly, I would also like a COOLING feature so that I may enjoy tea sooner (especially in the mornings!) A self-cooling mug might actually be even more useful in today's rushed society. My idea is genius. Another patent application for me? 🤔 Edit: Oh no! Fellow patron Dan Weiss came up with the idea ahead of me. Oh well, back to the shed...
I like thinking that, via the app, now “they” are going to know the temperature at which I like my coffee!!! Just another bit of data they have about me! This was a fun video!
Not only that, but Big Mug will also know your routine. Coffee/tea times might actually be a genuine privacy concern...! 😦
I realize the physics are a lot more difficult, but I wish someone would invent a mug with a built in refrigeration unit. Without an app.
Its a very smart idea, but the thing that makes me sad about it is how it renders all your traditional mugs obsolete. You may have a cupboard full of mugs, some of which you quite like because it has a nice design on it. Today I had a pot of tea and drank out of a mug with Yoshi the dinosaur on it. That's one of my favourites. Sure enough by the time I was halfway down the last mug, the tea had gotten too cold to drink. Definitely not agains the idea. Its a very good one, but feels a bit soulless for someone who enjoys drinking out of a mug with a favourite design on it. A smug would be good for an individual drink you would make out of a machine, but for me who likes to drink out of a traditional mug, I think a smart pot for your tea and coffee would be the way to go.
Well, like he pointed out, you can get a mug-warmer for a lot cheaper than a warming mug. They work with all the mugs you already own.
The day that my toothbrush needs a firmware update, I'm moving out of the city.
I guess your neighbours are now miscellaneous woodland creatures: https://boingboing.net/2018/12/18/surveillance-dentistry.html
Love the idea of a "Your Mug is Up to Date" T shirt! Hilarious and brilliant video. Also really appreciated last week's history of the cassette! I realize it was a massive effort and it was worth every second you put into it. Thank you!
Are the “new” bigger sized pods of Nespresso worth upgrading to? (The only problem I see is that the old style ones you could get “third party” which was great for trying different beans etc. (It’s no doubt the failing of the normal size that there probably wasn’t enough coffee beans).
i suppose it depends on your preference for espresso or a full cup of coffee. I find espressos to be a waste of time and effort - they take longer to make than to drink. Adding water to an espresso shot to make a full cup of ‘Americano’ is to me the equivalent of adding water to a double whisky to make it fill out a half pint glass. It ruins an acceptable short drink. So if like me you like a full cup of coffee and are prepared to pay a minimum of 40p a cup then go for it. If you prefer watered down espressos or lattes/cappuccinos and cost is a big factor then stick with the original.
Kinda reminds me of what I said about the Gakken Worldeye - someone needs to take this concept and do it properly I think if they put the brains in the coaster and left just the coil and sensor in the mug it could potentially sell well. Mugs would be cheaper and potentially dishwasher safe, and they could really load up the coaster with batteries. And give it buttons and a display - make the gimmicky app optional!
I have rarely come away feeling more conflicted after one of your product reviews. Usually, I can decisively say 'I'd like one of those', and maybe get one (Lametric clock, DDPai Dash Cam spring to mind) or alternatively, 'Interesting, but not for me' eg benchtop dishwasher. But this mug... My first thought was 'How ridiculous - the last thing this world needs is a Bluetooth enabled mug with an App...' but then as your review progressed, I realised that it's not such a stupid idea. The number of cups of cold coffee my wife pours down the sink in a year could refloat that ship stuck in the Suez canal. But then again, how many cups of fresh coffee could I make for the cost of that mug?- hundreds, no doubt. But then again - it is quite a cool product, much cleverer than an insulated mug. But then, I'd need to get two, not just the one, and that's getting seriously expensive for a couple of mugs. And they can't go in the dishwasher. But then again..... As I say, conflicted! I'll be very interested to know whether you continue to use it regularly or it all becomes more trouble than its worth. Thanks for an interesting review, Mat - have a great weekend....
That’s the best result I could hope for. I’d rather not be seen as a salesperson or someone who put people off a product - instead someone who shows the positives and negatives and leaves it up to the viewer to see if it fits in with their requirements. As for having two of these - I can see that being an issue, that’s two plug sockets taken up with mug chargers, and if your kitchen is anything like mine, spare sockets are hard to come by. As far as the cost - it is hard to justify, but if you had a Nespresso Virtuo each capsule costs 40p minimum, so throw enough of those away and it’d soon add up to something tangible. Anyway if you’ve lived without one so far then you’re probably ok...but perhaps it’s something to keep on the shortlist for potential gift ideas for your wife.
This must be the first time I already own something that Techmoan reviews... And yes, the app is only useful to set the temperature once (unless you change your mind twice a day). Only negative issue is of course that the battery can not be changed - after about one year of daily use mine has half the initial capacity. Apart from that the mug is something I definitely recommend.
Did you first check the compatibility of the mug firmware with the coffee liquid firmware? It could cause little ransomware to crop up on the skin of the coffee.
”Flippin hot” and “Your mug is up to date” are T-shirt worthy!
Yes why does everything now days have to come with an app when sometimes a few simple buttons would work better, sure they have a cost to manufacture but so does an app.
The point is to get you to sign up for an account. Those accounts are worth money to them.
Looks quite interesting, but I really wonder how those charging contacts would react to spilled coffee. In my opinion this would have been the ideal application for inductive charging.
Ok, so I will be the voice of America's love of everything cold. Iced Tea, Iced Coffee, Cold beer. I would love to have a mug that would actively chill my drink. Ice melts and waters down the drink. I would need a bigger mug, but that gives more room for electronics as well. And yes, I would like it to have a stir option. My Cold Brew Maker (Dorothy, a real thing as well, check Amazon) stirs the coffee grounds. My mug should stir my drink if I want it to. And no, this is not sarcasm.
I have a mug embossed with a Holstein cow pattern that has a AA battery in the handle, a button on the top and a little paddle at the bottom of the mug. Gag value really since pressing the button can send my hot chocolate over the sides :)
I like the 0.5° difference it suggests between black and green tea. Scientifically proven to be less than flippin' hot. Paul Merton once related the time he overheard two people talking in the supermarket... "We must buy some of that tea we saw advertised on television. The chimps speak very highly of it!"
This has been recommended to me constantly on Amazon lately!
Echo must have heard you complaining about cold drinks.
My initial thoughts were that it is a bit early for an April fool's joke, then I checked and found it really is a genuine product. You should still release the video to the public on April 1st though :-)
I'd forgotten all about April Fools Day - it might fit in with the schedule.
"Flippin 'ot." -- Mr. Moan
We started off by laughing out loud at your scathing tone, (so funny!) but ended up thinking it would be perfect for me because I always end up microwaving my tea anything up to five times before I finally finish it! I have one of those heating coaster thingies on my desk, but frankly, it does nothing. I might seriously end up buying an intelligent mug! Yet another Technmoan inspired purchase, to join the ultrawide monitors, the windowbot, the Viofo Dashcam . . . :-) S.
It could be worse - you could have ended up with a broken slot machine ;-)
Never knew I needed one of these until just now. Have had the same problem for years with my Nespresso machine... coffee is just never hot enough. Even tried pre-heating my mug in the microwave which helps but only for a few minutes! Have just ordered one so thanks (as always) for the informative and entertaining video. 👍🏻
Glad it’s not just me. I had the same issue with Senseo, Tassimo and Dolce Gusto too - I was starting to think that everyone else must just like luke warm coffee.
This looks like something that would be posted by "Internet of Shit" on Twitter.
I actually like this. On a cold day working outside it would keep my brew hotter for longer. The only thing is I'd need something drop proof....I'm getting clumsy in my old age
I highly doubt with the speed it heats up the already warm coffee it has any chance outside on a cold winter day to just even keep the initial temperature.
Now try to get your mug to mine bitcoin.
If I were less knackered I'd come up with a really clever joke about java right about now.
The need to update your mug's firmware reminds me of a social media posts: "My friend's son is recharging his sneakers by plugging them into the sofa. The 21st century is a very strange place." Accompanied by a photo of, yes, a pair of sneakers with LEDs in the soles plugged into the USB charging port on a sofa.
There's a Twitter account dedicated to nonsense like this: https://twitter.com/internetofshit (apologies for language)
please make T-Shirt with "your mug is update". It is perfect for computer science department
Here you go https://teespring.com/en-GB/your-mug-is-up-to-date
Nice video, you really hit the right tone. What could one wish for more? That would be automatic stirring. Not buying. 😉
Automatic Stirring you say... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bu0S7DJ4CM Sorry, couldn't resist. Hope you like the very silly humour.
Looks like they have seen your video, there is actually a S3 version where you can set the temperature on the mug. It’s bloody expensive, €130 in the Netherlands.
I personally don't have a problem with gadgets if they solve a problem, but I couldn't agree with you more about the bluetooth. Why the hell does it need to connect to my phone? I hate that everything wants access to my phone. I drink coffee to get AWAY from my phone, to have a moment away from technology. Knowing I was using a mug that uses bluetooth would just annoy me. But I won't lie, I have a HUGE problem burning myself when using travel mugs. When I go on road trips there is nothing I love more than drinking a coffee from the passenger seat but the mugs I use are too good at keeping it hot and I regularly burn myself. Once that travel mug gets down to Lidl/Aldi budget isle price, I will definitely pick one up knowing you can just use the bottom to change the temp. Great vid as always and the sarcasm had me in stitches
Every time I see a product like this that requires you to "accept terms and conditions" and "create an account", I really feel like weeping. :( What happens to your fancy heating mug when the company goes under? Apart from the possibility of updating the firmware, I don't really see the point in requiring any of that.
With Ember, I think we've reached peak naming of IOT devices. What would've been called simply an iMug 20 years ago, more recently the more likely choices were Embr, Mbur or M-br.
Mug 2000
I bought one of these for a friend. She was always throwing out cold half cups of coffee and making fresh ones. She has the coaster charger at her desk so it stays on all the time, and only really uses the battery if she goes into a meeting or something.
"Your mug is up to date." The future has finally arrived.
I had seen the Ember mug on the internet, but when I learned that the number of cycles was rather limited, I thought for me, the price was a bit too high to justify this little luxury. But I am happy it is working fine for you. Enjoy your flippin’ hot cup. And thanks for the video.
I think we're getting really spoiled these days... But connected, I had to 🤣 about that, the dry British humour does the rest 😉
Excellent video. I received one of these devices in a BREO Box (specialty gift box) a couple of years ago. It currently sits in my useless electronic items bin as I just couldn't see a need for it. It sat on my office desk for months after I used it a couple of times. The price in no way justifies a perceived need and it doesn't sell on eBay. It does work though.
Great video as usual. I'm not sure I get the "Who's the Mug?" title. Is that a reference to something specific?
A 'mug' is a gullible person. I was just playing with the word mug because I couldn't figure out what to call this post. To avoid confusion I've changed the title to something less colloquial.
"... to make up for it." I know many youtube videographers see this as their job, because it pays the bills, and thus feel a responsibility to produce regularly. i just want you to know (of course i can only speak for myself) that i don't feel i have any right to new videos whatsoever. yes, i pay you money, but it is purely as appreciation for the many great videos you have already made and the good times i had watching them. please (again, just my opinion) take as much or as little time as you feel like. make as many or as few videos as you feel like. quality (and you have this!) always trumps quantity (which, frankly, you also have). stay safe! <3
It's very kind of you to say so. I may take a couple of days off after I finish the next video.
I see things are heating up for you. I feel that sometimes, YouTube can be a mugs game. But nice to see you have a handle on it. I hope this didn't stir you up too much!