Arguably, Nespresso machines are expensive enough on their own, and then you realize you have to buy all of the individual pods as well. Not only can this add up to big costs over time, but all that single-use plastic can also heavily tax our environment. Dutch company Bluecup thinks it has the solution to both those problems with its reusable espresso cup.
Simply top off the reusable plastic cup with your favorite espresso, place a disposable foil lid on top, and insert the pair into the capsule creator. With a press and a twist, the foil is adhered to the cup, ready to drop into your Nespresso machine.
The secret lies in both the design of the cup and the design of the foil, and Bluecup hold patents for both of the products’ designs. The cup features a soft o-ring on both the top and the bottom of its upper flange, which creates a watertight seal without the use of adhesive or thermal sealing, while also eliminating “watery coffee,” according to the company. The foil seal features a rolled edge, which acts as a sort of aluminum spring to hold the foil tight once it gets over the cup’s flange. Bluecup’s pods don’t last forever, but you can reuse them about 100 times, according to its creators.
All this leads to a product that’s 99 times as environmentally friendly as the regular disposable cups, according to Bluecup. The company also figures each cup costs you around ten cents, whereas comparable Nespresso cups can cost 35 cents per brew. The machine also allows users to fill the cups with whichever espresso they prefer, rather than be locked into whatever is in Nespresso’s parent company, Nestlé’s, portfolio.
Bluecup is looking to raise money on Kickstarter to help it launch, although it has already passed its goal. The device starts at about $60, and While the usual Kickstarter warnings apply here, another consideration is whether Nestlé will pull the same trick Keurig did back in 2014, making a machine that renders refillable cups unusable. Although based on the backlash Green Mountain Coffee Roasters endured from the move, you may be safe.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.