14 DAY TRIAL // Amazon has updated its personal voice assistant to recognize and accept a new wake word that will make many Star Trek fans rejoice: Computer.
If you are a Star Trek fan and you have an Echo device, then you are probably already telling me to get to the instructions faster. If not, then you should know that “Computer” was one of the trigger words used by crew members on Star Trek to interact with the voice-controlled systems in the series. Since this has been happening since the ‘60s, you are bound to have heard it at least once.
Well, back to our story. You can now tell your Echo device this same word to wake up Amazon’s personal assistant. So here’s what you need to do.
Step by step
First up, you open the Alexa app on your phone. Then, you have to slide out the navigation panel on the left and tap the Settings button. Once in the new menu, you will have to tap the device that you want to change.
The next step is to scroll way down and tap “Wake Word,” tap the drop down and pick “Computer” from the list. The only thing that’s left on your list is to save the whole process, so you do not have to go through it again.
Now, every time you want to wake up Alexa to ask her how the weather is or have her play your favorite music, you will be doing it like the folks on Star Trek. “Computer! What’s the weather like in Washington?” “Computer! Who plays Spock?” “Computer! Play the Supernatural soundtrack!”
As with all other wake words, don’t be surprised if Alexa starts listening when you are not really trying to have her pay attention. Every once in a while, it will hear the wake word even when you are simply speaking it in a sentence.