27 Feb 2019 Meet the genius design firm behind the coffee mug that never gets cold

If the idea of a smart coffee cup sounds silly, you probably haven’t tried the Ember Ceramic Mug.

Envisioned by the San Francisco design studio, Ammunition, it has a built-in heater to keep coffee warm for hours, but otherwise looks and feels like any other mug.

This is the firm’s specialty: “We’ve all experienced technology that creates barriers,” says Ammunition partner Robert Brunner. “We focus on amplifying the everyday.”

This smart mug, winner of TIME Magazine’s Most Innovative Company Award, connects to a smart phone via Bluetooth with the Ember app allowing complete customisation: select your optimum drinking temperature, save favourite presets, receive notifications when the ideal drinking temperature is reached, and track caffeine consumption with Apple Health integration. (A single LED light conveys information on the mug.)

The Ember Ceramic Mug was designed to last for one hour when poured in hot at a set temperature of 54°C. It is also comes with a re-charging coaster.

A breakout consumer hit (it sold 110,000 units in the first six weeks following its November 2017 release), The item is now sold at the Apple Store, 4,600 Starbucks locations, and Tmall, in China.

Source: FastCompany.com, Ember.com