Your Star Trek Dreams Are Closer To Reality Now That Amazon Echo Responds To “Computer”

If you’ve ever stared longingly at your smart devices and wished they would respond when you’re doing your best Capt. Jean-Luc Picard impression, we’ve got some good news for you: Amazon has added “computer” to its list of words that will wake up its digital assistant Alexa on Echo devices.

Amazon has now updated its Alexa support page with the new addition, which any Star Trek: The Next Generation fan will recognize from the bajillion times the captain and crew of the Starship Enterprise used the term to engage the ship’s computer.

Previously, you could use the words “Alexa,” “Echo,” or “Amazon” to rouse the digital assistant from its electronic slumber.

Though Amazon hasn’t confirmed that it took a page from TNG’s book with this update, Mashable points out that company executives previously said the Enterprise’s onboard computer was the original inspiration for what became Alexa.

Speaking of which, if you’re watching TNG with an Echo device in the room, it might be a good idea to turn it off, lest the melodic tones of of Patrick Stewart’s voice has Alexa perking up needlessly.