You can now command your Amazon Echo by saying "Computer"

Amazon has added a new wake word to the Echo and the Echo Dot, and it’s the one that anybody who’s ever watched Star Trek wants: “Computer.” You can enable it by opening up the Alexa app on your iPhone or Android phone, then digging down into the settings to “Wake Word.” Where before you would only have seen three options: Alexa, Amazon, and Echo, you should now see a fourth and obviously the best one, Computer.

Oddly enough, the update to enable the new word has been rolling out slowly and intermittently for just over a week now, but apparently only a few people noticed it. But we’ve got it available on several different Echos here, so it’s worth digging into your settings to check.

Three points to make about this. First, astute Trekkies will note that the Picard joke about making “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” is inaccurate, as the computer on the Enterprise wasn’t invoked in the ordering of food from the replicator. Second, said Trekkies will also probably note that until you can fully access LCARS with the Echo, this isn’t really the Star Trek dream we actually want. Thirdly and most importantly, they’ll point out that these Trek jokes are tired and unless I can say something clever about ST:TNG S02E11 I’m really just a dilettante who should have quit while he was ahead.

Anyway, you can talk to Amazon by barking the word “Computer” out loud now, and you don’t even have to pick up a mouse to do it.' But your Echo still can’t make Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.