Ember Mug CLI

Product Introduction

1. Definition: The Ember Mug CLI is an open-source command-line interface (CLI) application designed specifically for controlling Ember smart mugs. It falls into the technical category of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device management tools and terminal-based utilities.
2. Core Value Proposition: It exists to provide a superior, customizable, and developer-friendly alternative to Ember's official mobile app for monitoring mug temperature, battery status, and settings directly within the terminal environment, enhancing workflow integration for technical users.

Main Features

1. Real-time Temperature Monitoring & Control: The CLI establishes a persistent BLE connection to the Ember Mug, providing live updates of the current liquid temperature directly in the terminal. Users can precisely set target temperatures (within the mug's operational range, typically 50°C-62.5°C / 120°F-144.5°F) using simple commands, leveraging Ember's Bluetooth GATT profile for direct hardware interaction.
2. Comprehensive Battery Tracking: The tool actively polls and displays the mug's current battery percentage. It provides an estimated remaining battery life calculation based on current usage and clearly indicates charging status (charging/discharging), utilizing data from the mug's battery service characteristics over BLE.
3. Custom Temperature Presets: Users can define and save their preferred target temperatures as named presets (e.g., coffee, tea). These presets are stored locally (likely in a configuration file like ~/.ember-mugrc), enabling one-command activation (ember-mug set-preset tea) for rapid temperature adjustment without remembering specific values.
4. RGB LED Customization: The CLI allows users to query the mug's current LED color state and dynamically set a new RGB color value via terminal commands. This interacts directly with the Ember Mug's LED characteristic, enabling personalized mug aesthetics without needing the mobile app.
5. Cross-Platform Terminal Interface (Built with React/Ink): The user interface is rendered directly within the terminal using React via the Ink library. This provides a visually rich, component-based experience with real-time updates, intuitive controls, and a modern aesthetic, differentiating it from basic text-only CLIs. It dynamically discovers nearby mugs using platform-native Bluetooth stacks (BlueZ on Linux, CoreBluetooth on macOS, WinRT on Windows).

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: The official Ember mobile app offers a suboptimal user experience and forces context switching away from primary development or workflow screens. This CLI solves the problem of inconvenient mug management by bringing controls directly to the terminal.
2. Target Audience: Primarily software developers, DevOps engineers, sysadmins, and technical power users (especially those using macOS/Linux terminals or Windows WSL/PowerShell) who spend significant time in the command line and value workflow automation and customization. Secondary users include tech enthusiasts and open-source advocates.
3. Use Cases: Essential for developers wanting to monitor coffee temperature without leaving their IDE/terminal during coding sessions; sysadmins managing server tasks who need hands-free temperature checks; users automating their workspace setup (e.g., scripts setting mug temp on login); individuals preferring keyboard-driven interfaces over touchscreens; those troubleshooting or customizing mug features beyond the official app's capabilities.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike the official Ember app, which is GUI-based and mobile-centric, the Ember Mug CLI offers a keyboard-first, scriptable, terminal-native experience. Compared to generic Bluetooth tools, it provides a purpose-built, user-friendly interface specifically tailored to the Ember Mug's capabilities, abstracting complex BLE interactions.
2. Key Innovation: Its core innovation lies in leveraging React and Ink to create a visually rich, dynamic, and interactive terminal application for hardware control – a significant departure from traditional, static CLI tools. Being open-source (MIT licensed) allows for community-driven enhancements, transparency, and customization unavailable in proprietary solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How do I install and run the Ember Mug CLI? Install and run the latest version instantly using Node.js Package Execute (npx) with the command npx ember-mug@latest; no permanent installation is required, though global installation via npm install -g ember-mug is also supported.
2. What are the Bluetooth requirements for using Ember Mug CLI on Windows/Linux/macOS? macOS requires Bluetooth 4.0+ (works natively). Linux requires the BlueZ stack (bluetoothd running, bluetoothctl functional). Windows needs a compatible Bluetooth 4.0+ adapter with supported WinRT drivers (note: some older adapters/drivers like Widcomm may not work).
3. Can I use the Ember Mug CLI without the official Ember app? Yes, the Ember Mug CLI operates independently of the official Ember mobile application, providing full control over temperature, battery monitoring, presets, and LED color directly from your terminal.
4. Is the Ember Mug CLI safe to use with my Ember Mug? Yes, the CLI interacts with the mug using the same documented Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocols as the official app, ensuring safe operation within the device's designed parameters for temperature and battery management.
5. Where can I report issues or contribute to the Ember Mug CLI project? Report bugs, request features, or submit pull requests (PRs) via the project's GitHub repository (github.com/benjaminjsinger/ember-mug), as it is an open-source project under the MIT license.