So what makes this smart canteen so smart? Does it filter as well? I checked the erratas and haven't found it. Please help. I am running a game in Outback Australia and this could come up.

I wonder if its like a Smart Toaster. Howdydoodlydoo. Anyone like any toast? How about a muffin? Do you want toast? How about now? Can I interest you in some toast?

My dream canteen would be self filtering, self cooling/ heating, self recharging (water sloshing around in a can, can generate some voltage) , and play nice with my luggage. I really hate it when my water bottles conflict with my backpack.


Edit: Post Script
It would also have a fullness gage (how much water is in it) a gps readout on the cap, glow tape on the lid (it sucks having to find/ turn on your flashlight to get a drink) float (it will be slightly less than neutrally buoyant due to the weight of the bottle and stuff attached to it) and have a motivating attitude (positive, but realistic)

Well if there's no info and you're running the game, sounds like you get to put what you want on it.

I like most of your ideas--digital readout of how full it is? Yeah, that sounds like it should be standard on a "smart" canteen. GPS, I could go with that. I personally would leave the glowtape and personality software out of it--I think people would prefer to upload the personality software of their choice rather than a "stock" model, and the glowtape is a great idea but I'd prefer to see the character put that on themselves. A touch of personality and realism, one of those little touches to make the game more "real." But that's just me; if you think that's how the canteen ought to be packaged then go for it.

Along with filters, I would also suggest that the canteen have some sort of material analysis built in--toxins, radiation, bio-bits, things like that. The sort of thing you'd want to know about your water before you drink it, even if it's been filtered, boiled, and iodine'd.

A real smart toaster would just automatically know when you wanted toast.

Which is all the time, as far as Aztechnology is concerned.

I personally like the idea of a stock personality software. You could easily see it in a line "If you don't like this personality, take a look at our other exciting offers!"

The smart canteen is a subcategory of the smart pouch system. Its main function is that it calculates the exact amount being carried (so you would know if it was full, half-full, etc.).

"Well Fred, you're doing a great job out here. Unfortunately you've been in this desert for a few days without any sign of intelligent life and I've been empty for 32 hours. Looks like you're #*@##$! Gee whiz though isn't this a nice view on this ridge here? What a swell view!"

I know this is a bit extreme, but I would have a radiation detector upgrade available. You may find a slow moving river with no signs of biological contaminants but it could cook you with rads and you would never know.

I was thinking about preloading it with 3 personafixes: 1) A coach to get you over that next "hill", Les "Survivorman" Stroud for when you fall into a deep crevasse behind that next hill, and R Lee Ermy or Jeff Foxworthy and I really don't think either of those 2 need explaining.

It's "smart" in that it's the other half of the "smart pouch" (pg. 62).

at 5 I wouldn't even give the thing the ability to purify water, but eventually you'll find someone who thinks it should read your biometrics and use it's Empathy 6 software to mix you cocktails from it's infinite supply of drugs.

It just reports how much water is it in it.

When I think of a "smart" canteen, I think one of its "features" (if any) should be that it calculates exactly how much water you need to survive, and then only lets you drink that much. You could of course turn this function off, but it would probably come in handy if you were stranded in the Desert, no water besides your canteen, and you needed to survive as long as possible...

Is the canteen half full or half empty?

I would guess that would depend on the personafix loaded.

It's halfway to having to refill an empty canteen.

This does beg the interesting question, can I attach my solar still to my smart canteen? I mean sure I could just pour one to the other, but that is so. . . last century.

It might also contain instructions on what to do with any water you find. Simple little things like "Try and point water 5-10 min before drinking it, try not to get it from stagnate pools, etc" No VR assisted instructions or sensors to detect if a particular sample of water is any good or anything, just the sort of stuff you might find in a survival guide, but only dealing with water.

"Always carry a plastic/styrofoam cup and saran wrap when traveling through a desert."

Never heard that one before

"Don't eat yellow snow."

But what if it's banana flavored? I might never know if I don't taste it!

That's it. I'm giving my group's equipment personality: Marvin the Melancholic MAD Scanner.