Tech gadget junkies probably already know everything there is to know about the Amazon Echo. Much like Google’s (News - Alert) short-lived Nexus Q, the device is more of an experiment than a fully realized product, combining the functionality of a Bluetooth speaker with that of voice assistants like Siri and Google Now into a single device. At launch, the Echo boasted features like Audible, Pandora (News - Alert), home automation and more, but Amazon promised to build upon this list as time went on. Today, the company has delivered in an unusual way.
So what new functionality has the Amazon Echo received? The ability to recognize your Hunger Games and Adele references. No, really. Just in time for the release of Adele’s latest album, as well as the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, the Amazon Echo has received some extra Easter eggs that should please fans of both.
Alexa, the voice of the interactive speaker, now responds to certain prompts. For example, users that say “Alexa, hello, it’s me” as in the opening line to Adele’s latest hit “Hello” will receive responses such as:
“Hello, it’s me. I so wish I could sing like Adele.” Or: “I was wondering if after all these years, you’d like to meet. I can’t stop singing along to Adele.”
Meanwhile, Hunger Games fans can say “Alexa, happy Hunger Games” to the Amazon Echo, to which Alexa will respond: “May the odds be ever in your favor.” These Easter eggs build upon Alexa’s already impressive base of pop culture knowledge, which includes Star Wars and Shakespeare. While it may not seem like the most useful addition to the Amazon Echo’s repertoire, these kinds of features are commonplace among virtual assistants, including Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.
Besides, there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun with technology—especially something as entertainment focused as Amazon Echo.