This is interesting from a technical perspective, though. How does it know what's in the cup?
I'm getting a little tired of the onslaught of products which attach technology to items/habits/lifestyles that (IMO) are obscured by technology. Does the jawbone bracelet improve my understanding of my own habits and body better than care contemplation and meditation would, or does it add an (incomplete) layer of abstraction to an already complicated system? Do a few meager data points help me better understand what's going on with my body?
With these technologies we must force ourselves to weigh the negative impacts against the perceived values.
What is the environmental impact of creating this item?
How much does this item increase my power consumption?
How is the data collected by this device used, who has access to it?
Is there a problem that this product solves?
What kind of impact does this product have on the people around me?
If this item is just a toy, does its environmental impact justify the purchasing of it?
Very cool.
A $200 cup. http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/vessyl-smart-cup-knows-the-diffe...
And honestly, I believe it is the entrepreneur's imagination, the market and people's perception that has really caught up to technology that already existed.
Although, I think this is less likely- I like your guess better.
This thing is a cup.
Well this thing is a cup, spectroscopic device, hydration tracker,and daily caloric planner, that integrates with your smartphone through bluetooth, while charging wirelessly.
It's a very advanced cup. And in order to be useful, you need to drink everything with that cup.
This is a very important point and really limits the usefulness of this cup. Lots of empty calories that happen from drinking happen on the go at places like bars, restaurants, or coffee shops - are we expecting people to bring their cups with them everywhere and empty out their beverages into their smart cup before drinking?