Google Home, the smart speaker and voice assistant, has been hiding a secret. By default, the device is voiced by an anonymous female. Say the magic words though and she’ll turn into a pseudonymous male – Mr Satoshi, your voice-activated cryptocurrency personal assistant.
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Calling Mr Satoshi
Easter eggs are hidden messages concealed inside games and programs. They’re often put there by developers as an inside joke, spurring gamers on to mash buttons and search through sub-menus in search of these concealed features. Rockstar Games famously pepper their GTA games with easter eggs, and Google are responsible for dozens. Try Googling “do a barrel roll” or “anagram” for some of their more obvious ones.
The latest easter egg to be attributed to Google lies closer to home though – quite literally. It’s been discovered that the Google Home smart speaker conceals a cryptocurrency assistant. To summon it, utter the words “Okay Google” and then ask to talk to Mr Satoshi. “Okay, let’s get Mr Satoshi,” replies the speaker. “Hi, I’m Mr Satoshi,” it adds a beat later – whilst retaining the same female voice. “Which digital currency are you trying to check?”
The voice assistant will then deliver real-time prices on any major cryptocurrency of your choosing. The discovery of Mr Satoshi is evidence of two trends: the pervasiveness of cryptocurrency, and the growing cult of Satoshi Nakamoto.
Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator has spawned an entire cottage industry of stores, apparel, coins, and platforms all named after Satoshi. A Russian brewery is even holding a token sale to launch its Satoshi beer. On Reddit this week, one user sought bitcoin-related suggestions for naming his boat. Responses included BTSea, Crypto Current Sea, and the USS Satoshi Nakamoto.
Should bitcoin mania continue, 20 years from now there may be a string of new cryptocurrency traders answering to the name Satoshi. In 2014, a post on the Bitcointalk forum entitled “Would you name your baby Satoshi for 150 bitcoins?” ran to 17 pages. Today, there are probably crypto-crazy dads who’d do it for one millionth of a bitcoin. Yes, a satoshi.
Do you think you could convince your partner to name your kid Satoshi? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Google.
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