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.
The program has an option that lets you control the sensitivity of the bluetooth signal that triggers the events.
Wow, this program is total overkill.
Most people just want their computers to lock...based on a specified proximity. This program is more than that. It integrates into Windows in a way that is similar to biometric fingerprint readers - replacing the standard windows login with it's own.
I installed it and promptly uninstalled it. Most people will be fine with BlueLock (which I've been using for some time now). oneMadRssn posted the link above.
If you're in a corporate environment, do not install this without checking with your IT staff. They will shoot you on site if they see this.
Can't try it out yet. I have Windows 7 64 bit installed. They are claiming support for Windows 7 32 and 64 bit versions this summer. We will see.
does not work on Windows 7 Beta 64 bit. i wil be trying on RC1 this evening.
It doesn't work on 64 bit full stop
I've been using a program called btProx for a while now. The log-in and log-out parts of it aren't functional under Windows 7, but it can still be used to run apps and scripts when you enter and leave the range. I got it run my own program, so now it signs me into msn and opens google reader when I enter range, and it runs a script to close them when I leave. This program seems like a bit of overkill for what I need though.
Installed it, didn't work very weel so I uninstalled it but the sucker keeps some hidden files somewhere because the logo keeps popping up each time I lock my laptop.
Okay, so what happens when your phone runs out of battery?
You just type in your password, like you've always done before you installed the program.
Erm, ignore that. I misunderstood what it did.
Is that iPhone in the background?
LOL!
Yeah I had something similar to that on Ubuntu while I was using my laptop at college all the time. It's useful, and you could even set it so that the computer won't login at all unless it detects your phone. Also you could change how far away you had to be before it locked. Pretty nifty.
>(Windows XP and Vista only, unfortunately)
Unfortunately? First targeting the majority of computer users is an unfortunate thing? fanboys!
bleh, english windows only :/
One BIG issue with this the they should have pointed out is it does not work if you use a BT keyboard and mouse...
2 questions,
Anyone tried this on 32bit win 7 to see if it works or is it Vista only?
As far as vista only does it work on 64bit if anyones tried that?
No 64 bit Vista support
Anyone had luck with Win7 32bit since x64 won't work for sure
Trial works for 14 days - Thereafter $10 to register
Have checked all the links to similar software, but none of the ones for Windows OSes have adjustable proximity settings available.
Oh give me a break - 14 day trial.
I'll pass. But I really like the idea. So if any cunning Engadget chaps fancy writing an open source one, I'd be happy to use ;)
There are free utilities that do this you know, plus it requres you to brroadcast on BT, which a halfway sensible person doesn't do.
Check out btprox on source forge. It's for Windows and not BIOS dependent. I tested the Phoenix one on my Toshiba that has a Toshiba (not AMI or Phoenix) BIOS and there was apparently a USB driver error. It did properly ask me to turn on my Bluetooth, though.
Still, BTProx is the way to go on Windows for the rest of the world.
Hmm. My Mac not only goes to screensaver (password protected) but it also pauses any media playing, music and movies, can be configured to unlock when i get back, say things like 'hello master' (creepy a lot more than fun) and unpause my media. It's a third party app called Salling Clicker, although BluePhoneElite can do it as well, and there is a free app that does basic bluetooth control as well. Oh, and I run a client app on my s60 phone that allows me to control just about anything on the mac I use as a media player over bluetooth. BluePhoneElite2 can also do a neat trick where it sets up the Mac to be a bluetooth headset for your phone so your usb headphones with a microphone can be used with your phone. Incoming calls pause iTunes, switch you to the local headset, and when you hang up, it unpauses iTunes. Most of this has been possible for simply years.
I thought 'Hey why didn't I think of that? Now I don't have to waste time pressing that lock shortcut on the keyboard'.
Since this Phoenix Freeze is trialware + bloatware, I asked Google, found BtProx and Bluelock instead, tried them out but couldn't get them to work right on Vista with my cellphone (a Treo). Later realized I also couldn't get the Bluetooth A2DP service to work right with the cell's headset.
After the requisite stubborn gearhead's exercise in frustration, searched 'Bluetooth sucks' and lo, what do you know, Bluetooth sucks now and has for years. Wait, I remember the same exercise I had with a Bluetooth dongle and Bluetooth headset three years ago. Urgh, what a waste of time. Bluetooth is back off on the cell and laptop - permanently unless I get lured into Bluetooth's false promise again.
It jusy lock/unlock but anyway to start the desktop login you need to enter password. for those who use password, here is rohos logon - http://www.rohos.com/bluetooth_logon.htm . it works since the logon. and cohmpletelly replaces password with bluetooth device (Win+Mac).
Linux had this feature for years, called BlueProximity. This is one of hundreds of examples of Windows forever playing catch up to everything else.