There's nothing worse than trying to juggle your mug of coffee and your smartphone while trying to take a selfie, which ultimately shows your entire arm because you have to hold the phone.
Well, OK, there are plenty of things worse than that, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem worth solving. That's why Yecup has developed a travel mug that can also remotely control your smartphone.
"Yecup is a high-quality smart mug, which is controlled from your smartphone! You can easily control the temperature of your drink from the app: boil it, keep it warm, see the current temperature of the drink, as well as check the battery state of the cup," says Yecup on its website. "You can also charge your phone more than twice a day with the help of a special built-in battery charger and even take selfies with special Selfie Button on the cup."
Clearly, the mug can do more than just take selfies and hold your coffee. While it does have insulation to keep your drink as cold or warm as you want it, it also allows users to boil their drink to a set temperature, a function that can be controlled straight from the smartphone app. Once the drink is ready, it will give the user a notification on their smartphone.
To establish this connection, the cup uses Bluetooth 4.0, which is known as the low-energy version of Bluetooth.
As mentioned, the mug can also control the camera of the smartphone, featuring a small button on the side that can be used to trigger a photo. Not only that, but if someone goes a little too crazy with the taking of selfies, they can plug their phone into the USB port on the cup to recharge it. Featuring a 6,000 mAh battery, Yecup will last anywhere between 3 and 8 hours on a single charge, depending on how much they use it. Of course, when the battery runs out, the user can still use Yecup as a travel mug. In case the user is worried about the battery, however, they can always check how much power is left, also through the smartphone app.
The team behind Yecup has started an Indiegogo campaign to try and get their idea off the ground, and if they're successful in doing that they will finish developing the app and begin manufacturing the device. Early adopters of the mug could have gotten it for $77 if it wasn't already sold out, but it is still available for $100. There is also a "mini Yecup," which costs $69.
