A:Answer 1. Is there an online owners manual?: You can contact www.ember.com/support or you can simply Google Ember Mug Instructions for Use. You will find lots of help!! 2. How long does this retain the charge and hold the heat?: I keep my charging pad on the counter in my kitchen. The drawback is that the mug itself doesn't stay hot for hours and hours. But I only drink one cup of coffee in the morning, so for me.....I LOVE IT.....right down to the last drop of coffee! If I wanted my coffee to stay hot for a long, long time, I would put the charging pad on my desk. 3. How often do I need to recharge?: I simply rinse and dry my mug when I'm done and set it back on the charging pad. It is always ready and waiting for me if and when I want another cup of coffee. 4. Do I recharge empty or full cup?: I use it daily, but I don't use it on a continual basis. I think you might like a more simple mug warmer if you want to have a warm cup of coffee at your disposal all day long. Also....this particular charging pad is very liquid sensitive. A coffee spill could be expensive!!! 5. What do the orange, green and red colors that sometimes show on the bottom mean?: The online information will give you more information. My mug shows green on the charger when it is fully charged. It shows solid white on my mug when it is giving me heat for my coffee. It blinks white when charging.