A new update to Amazon Alexa, the virtual assistant at the heart of the Amazon Echo line of smart speakers, finally lets you live out your "Star Trek" fantasies by using the word "Computer" to wake her up, as spotted by The Verge.
The Amazon Echo team was directly inspired by "Star Trek" as they were building the groundbreaking device. To date, the selectable wake words have been "Alexa," "Amazon," "Echo," "Tap," or "Dot." As in, "Alexa, set a timer," or "Alexa, remind me to buy soap."
It's very much like "Star Trek," where the crew of the starship Enterprise activates the ship's computer with voice commands: "Computer, end program." "Computer, open a channel." "Computer, initiate self-destruct," and et cetera.
Take a look:
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Giving way to the classic scene in the 1986 film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" where Montgomery "Scotty" Scott tries to address a then-modern PC by speaking to it:
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Now, the "Star Trek" fantasy can be your reality. Just go to your Alexa app, go to settings, select the device you want to change, and just scroll down under the "wake word" menu until you find "Computer." It's easy-peasy.
On a final note, I asked my dad, the biggest "Star Trek" fan I know and a big Alexa enthusiast, for his thoughts, and he made a good point: Given the fact that the Echo has a history of activating itself when the "Alexa" wake word is said on TV, watching "Star Trek" when you have your wake word set to "Computer" might get irritating, quickly.
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