Don’t you just hate logging in and out of your computer? If you’re in a corporate setting, they sometimes have a time out feature to force the lock screen. If it’s set at a fast time interval, it can be super annoying. And if you work on stuff at home with the kids around and get distracted or have to attend to other issues - it sure would be nice to have the computer autolock. That will keep your proposal from having words in it like “kjhoi08dsfh.” Yeah, been there, done that. Here are some ways to use your cell phone to lock / unlock your computer - on Mac, linux, and Windows.
Okie dokie, let’s get to the stuff. Mac has a nice little utility called Proximity. Proximity “monitors the proximity of your mobile phone or other bluetooth device and executes custom AppleScripts when the device goes out of range or comes into range of your computer.” Well, that sounds like it could do exactly what we’re looking for. Now, all we need is the help of a scripting guru. Step in Jesse David Hollington of the Technocrat to give us a hand for the Mac Bluetooth Proximity Detect. Jesse set out to have Proximity do the following tasks:
When the Bluetooth Device enters range:
- Deactivate the Screen Saver Password.
- Deactivate the Screen Saver.
- Reconnect the phone to the OS X Address Book.
- Sync the phone using iSync.
When the Bluetooth Device leaves range:
- Activate the Screen Saver Password.
- Activate the Screen Saver.
Great work Jesse!
Nicholas Barwig has put together a very nice Windows Proximity equivalent. Nicholas says, “This application can use any bluetooth device to lock and unlock you’re windows computer(s) based on the proximity of the device. If the device is within range, your desktop will unlock. Once out of range it becomes secured without any interaction from you!”
And here we have the linux Proximity equivalent. “Here’s the idea: I have a bluetooth phone. When I walk away from my computer, I want the screen to lock. When I come back, I want the screen to unlock. Sound simple? Well, it is! First, you need to get bluetooth working and you need to be able to connect to your phone.”
And, just for kicks and giggles, Nerd Vittles gives us a very cool Asterisk PBX iPhone system Proximity Detection Perfection, that gives you the ability to “stroll out of your home or office and have your telephone calls follow you on your cellphone automatically… without touching anything. And, when you return, the home or office phones start ringing again just as if you never left. Won’t your boss or spouse be thrilled? What makes all of this possible, of course, is Bluetooth which happens to be running on your TrixBox/Asterisk server and on your brand new iPhone.”
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