Phoenix Freeze turns your Bluetooth phone into a proximity lock
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 6th 2009 1:39PM
posted May 6th 2009 1:39PM
It may not be the ideal solution for those in need of some military-grade security, but those simply looking to keep their co-workers from snooping on their laptop may want to consider Phoenix's new Freeze application, which promises to turn any old Bluetooth-enabled cellphone into a proximity lock. What's more, you can apparently even use one phone to control multiple laptops, and configure the application to switch the laptop into a power-saving mode when the phone moves outside the proximity zone (which can also be configured to suit your needs). Best of all, the application is available as a free download right now (Windows XP and Vista only, unfortunately), and Phoenix seems to have some even grander plans for the future, with it now apparently busily courting computer manufactures in the hope of getting it offered as a standard option on new laptops.
Nice idea, going to have to check this out.
ctrl+alt+del enter?
or if you have a windows key on your keyboard, win+L works too...
great... so next time I forget my phone my coworkers get to change my language settings on me
@ Osiris
or even easier:
windows key + L
The problem some of you don't seem to get is that many people simply don't get security. I've hundreds of users that NEED to lock their screens when they walk away, but don't bother to. Set their timeout to anything less than 20 minutes and anarchy ensues.
This is perfect.
free for Windows, but how much will Apple charge for their version once it comes out? ;)
Windows key + L is just fine for me. Leaving my phone's bluetooth on would just suck the life out of the battery in half a day.
There is a program on linux called blueproximity that has done this for years...
http://sourceforge.net/projects/blueproximity/
Congratulations.
Now we just need to find someone that uses Linux for a desktop.
I do.
I think you're pretty safe already by using Linux. Most people aren't going to even know how to mess anything up in it.
Also something called Proximity for Mac that has done this for years. http://reduxcomputing.com/proximity.php
i wrote something for mac os to do this years ago too.
http://github.com/jcs/blueping/tree/master
I was sure there was already an implementation on Linux, thanks for pointing me to it :)
Not much new about this, I have done it on Ubuntu before, but it is a pain to do. It's something I'd like to see done more.
haha that's pretty cool. I'm going to have to try this out...
Old news, there were utilities like this for Mac Os X 10.3 IIRC...
Isn't there a windows app or maybe a mac app that does this? I remember something from a year or so ago that would do this, only problem...don't underestimate the range of bluetooth...It's quite long.
It's called Salling Clicker and it's done this and a load of other things for a number of years.
http://www.salling.com
http://members.lycos.co.uk/wuul/bluelock/readme.html
apparently BlueLock does this for windows xp for free.
i can't find any free mac software that does this though...
yep i've been doing this for years with my nokia with salling clicker
Wow! Definitely awesome! Great if you have to use the p00per at a coffee shop too! >:]
Where's this coffee shop you go to? I heard there's a laptop sitting all alone for minutes at a time.
If you are leaving your laptop sitting out in public unattended while you go to use the facilities, you have far greater security issues than this application will compensate for.
The hell kind of coffee are you drinking?..
I hear you bro. Coffee makes me poop all the time!
Apparently, this guy likes toilet paper. :P
I don't think everyone realizes you are making a joke and being funny rather than serious.
+1 for putting up with it!
@Razlooga
Dude you comment made me shoot coffee out of my nose.
Nice job. This is a great idea.
There's been programs that do this but none work that well. I'm downloading it now so we'll see...
Bah doesnt work simultaneoulsy with bluetooth mice, nor on 64 bit....
Palm's never-released Foleo used to do this. Very cool idea, and it worked quite well (I had a pre-release unit). Wonder if they ever patented it. - Hey Phoenix, is that Palm, Inc.'s lawyer in your lobby?
This program is amazing. Been playing with it for a few hours and it's great on my HTC Touch Diamond.
It says in the forum that it's only a 14 day trial, better go with the sourceforge version.
My Toshiba laptop does one better... It actually logs on to Windows when a specific phone is in Bluetooth range.
Of course it's configurable; otherwise there would definitely be times you don't want an automatic login.
I remember this program my roommate in college showed me in 2003 that did the exact same thing (plus more stuff) with SonyEricsson phones. The phone I was using at the time was T616. It had nothing to do with the phone's software support. Basically when you pair any bluetooth device, it has a signal strength and the proximity is calculated based on that. With Bluetooth v1.2's frequency jumping, you wouldn't have to worry about interference strongly degrading your signal.
Wow, this is new? I had this on my mac about six years ago.
Wow you're so cool
This is a great idea for the workplace, but is of limited value at home when multiple household members want to use it. How would it work when multiple phones are competing for the unlock? Automatic log-in wouldn't work, either. If I wanted the convenience of the automatic log-in at home then my wife would have trouble trying to herself in if I'm home.
Ideally I would like software that works with a webcam to automatically log me in when I sit down at the computer with facial recognition. Anybody use software that does this?
Asus has this built in to some of their mid - high range notebooks.
try keylemon.com
the only problem is you have to login to windows, then when you lock it it unlocks using facial recognition...
I have yet to see one that *works* before windows is up and running. i think Toshiba was trying for a while, but it's still not worth getting a Toshiba POS.
Actually, Lenovo has their VeriFace face-recognition software on their IdeaPads.
I like the interface and options for this program over previous programs. I just want to know how much a subscription/full version costs before I install it. I posted the question on their forum but who knows if I'll get a straight answer and when.
Has anyone purchased a subscription? what's the price? thanks.
Does it log you back in when it's in range...Someone tried it let me know.
Interesting concept even if i havent come across it before. Personally i'd hate to leave bluetooth on all the time, what i would find more useful would be using something like a small keychain device. It would be similar to a kensington lock of sorts. The device can be in your pocket, and be small enough and powered by an AAA or AAAA battery...
Even laptop manufacturers can make this a simple addon, especially if some media laptops already have a small remote to control them.
You mean like one of these that have been available for years...?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7242
I forget, is actual distance between two Bluetooth radios something that can be pulled as a value? As much as I like a strong Bluetooth-enabled phone or headset to be able to pick up from far distances, having this kind of proximity lock does have its disadvantages.
For instance, I could be in the next room or the floor above/below and the computer could inadvertently pick up my Bluetooth phone, causing itself to unlock the workstation. If it can detect I'm gone further than three feet and no more, then it can really be a perfect solution. Otherwise, the strength of the Bluetooth radios in each of the devices could make or break these kinds of software products.