GateKeeper proximity authentication can automatically unlock your computer with the appropriate settings. Automatic unlock can be set from the GateKeeper Client desktop application. Open your GateKeeper Client application on your PC/Mac and click Settings. Under Unlock Method, select the option ' Automatic Login ' - all set! Metallic-Object Proximity Switches Commonly used to measure the speed of motors and other rotating equipment in the oil and gas industry, chemical plants, and grain mills, these switches detect objects each time they pass through the slot.
- Mac Proximity Lock Software
- Mac Proximity Lock Device
- Mac Proximity Lock Tool
- Mac Proximity Lock App
- Mac Proximity Lock
Lock your Mac by just walking away! Unlock your Mac by just approaching it!
Bluetooth Lock for OS X is a companion app for iOS version of Bluetooth Lock
Features and screenshots
Lock your Mac by just walking away! Unlock your Mac by just approaching it – without even touching your iOS device! When you walk away from your Mac, it will be automatically locked. Once you approach your workplace, Bluetooth Lock unlocks your Mac. It is the latest and most convenient way to protect your computer from unauthorized access.
AUTO-LOCK
Mac Proximity Lock Software
Enable 'Lock when signal strength is….' in Bluetooth Lock for OS X and your Mac will be automatically locked when your iOS device moves away from it. You can even be notified when your Mac is locked.
PROXIMITY WAKING
Enable 'Unlock when signal strength is….' in Bluetooth Lock for OS X and your Mac will wake up when your iOS device is close. Enable 'Lock when signal strength is….' in Bluetooth Lock for OS X and your Mac will be automatically locked when your iOS device moves away from it. You can even be notified when your Mac is locked.
Mac Proximity Lock Device
FEATURES
- Perfectly designed to be easy to use.
- Auto-lock when you're away from your Mac.
- Unlocks automatically when you're within walking proximity and return to your Mac.
- Show current signal strength.
- Auto-Calibrate feature controls the required signal strength on which your Mac should automatically lock and unlock.
- You can also manually set up the required signal strength on which your Mac should automatically lock.
- Bluetooth Lock uses the latest Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy technology to use as little energy as possible, no matter how frequent you use it!
- Security feature: your OS X password is never transferred anywhere from your Mac. Bluetooth Lock for OS X stores it in your Mac's Keychain, and OS X maintains the security. Even Bluetooth Lock for iOS has no access to this information.
- Bluetooth Lock for iOS and Bluetooth Lock for OS X have been designed with speed in mind.
- iMac late 2012 or later
- MacBook Air 2011 or later
- MacBook Pro 2012 or later
- Mac mini 2011 or later
- Mac Pro late 2013 or later
Macs that support Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy:
Check if your Mac supports Bluetooth Low Energy by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Bluetooth.
Please leave your Feedback & Suggestions in our Knowledge Base: http://bluetooth-lock.uservoice.com
Anyone who doesn't have their computer protected by a strong password is just asking for trouble. The moment you turn your back on your computer to go to the bathroom or to get a coffee, a snooper can be inside your hard drive viewing and copying personal information, without you ever realizing it.
But if you are in the habit of going for lots of coffee, or going to regular meetings, it can be a real pain having to log in and out of your computer all the time. Especially if (and it should) your password is something along the lines of @[email protected] . Try typing that in 10-20 times a day (getting it wrong a lot!) and soon you will get rather tired of it!
But having no password at all is not an option so what else can you do to secure your computer which your wrists and hands will thank you for? Why, use Bluetooth of course.
I'm a Bit Clueless! What's Bluetooth?
I'm sure you already know what Bluetooth is (and if you do, you can read a really complicated technical description over at Wikipedia to learn more), but for those who are not so knowledgeable, here's a brief description.
To put it simply, Bluetooth allows two devices to connect ('pair') with one another. Examples include :
- Pairing a wireless headset with your mobile phone, so you can answer phone calls by tapping the headset and looking as if you have gone completely insane by talking to yourself.
- Pairing two Internet-connected devices for the purpose of transferring files from one to the other.
- Pairing two Internet-connected devices, so one can be used to control the other (for example, using your mobile phone as a TV remote control or to listen to music on your favorite music player).
Another use, which is the subject of this article, is to use your mobile phone to lock and unlock your computer. There are many Android apps that do this, but since I only have Apple products (or 'fruit shop toys' to quote my wife), this article is based solely on using an iPhone to unlock your MacOS computer.
It should be noted before we start that there are normally two components to these services – the Mac app and the iOS app. The Mac app is normally free, but you have to pay for the iOS app. So the prices quoted below are only for the iOS app.
Without the iOS app, the whole thing will obviously not work, which is where the developer makes their money. Saying that, one of the three options here is completely free. This can help you decide whether or not you want to spend the pennies to get one of the better paid ones.
The other thing to note is that you need to give these apps your Mac password so it can unlock the computer for you. If you feel uncomfortable giving out your password, then these apps are not for you.
Tether (Free)
Tether is completely free and it does its job well. Once both the Mac app and iOS app have been installed, turn on Bluetooth on both devices and wait for them to find one another.
Then you need to go into the Mac app and go through the settings. One option is to specify how far away from the computer you should go before the auto-lockdown kicks in. This is useful if you don't want your computer to lock every time you walk to the filing cabinet behind your desk, for example.
Then go to the password option and enter your Mac password.
Now give it a go. Walk away from your Mac, and when you have reached the distance specified by you in the options, your computer will lock and go to the screensaver. When you come back to the computer, the Mac will wake up and unlock.
Knock 2.0 ($5.99)
This is not one of those 'walk away and it will lock' deals. This one might be seen by some as more of a gimmick but I still like it.
Using a Bluetooth pairing, you can tap on your iPhone screen ('knock'), and when the Mac picks up the tapping, it will automatically unlock.
Once both the Mac and iOS apps have been installed, go to the Mac app and right-click on it. You will then see the options (few as they are).
The one missing option which really annoys me about this app is the ability to set the sensitivity of the knocking. Because, quite often, it takes more than a few knocks for the Mac to finally pick it up and unlock.
Meanwhile you are hitting your expensive iPhone screen and wondering if you are damaging the thing. Note to the developer – if there was a sensitivity setting, you could perhaps set it so it required less hard knocking? Just a thought.
While the app is running, your login screen avatar will now have a flashing green light shooting around it, which looks cool on its own! Yes I know, I am easily pleased.
MacID ($3.99)
This is my personal favourite, as it is replete with options. You can lock your Mac simply by tapping a button on your iPhone, as if it was a TV remote control, and use the same button to wake the Mac up again.
Upon installing the iOS app, you need to enter your Mac password. Adobe premiere pro crashing mac. As the screen says, the app is encrypted for your protection and reassurance.
The button for your iPhone to lock your Mac now appears on your screen. It is your avatar to the left. Tap it and 'unlocked' will change to 'locked' and your Mac will shut down. Tap it again, it will go back to 'unlocked' and your Mac will wake up again.
As I said, the amount of options for MacID make this one of the better ones. You can add multiple iPhones, and if using the button on your iPhone doesn't appeal to you, you can also auto-lock when you walk away from the computer, and wake it up again when you get back.
Mac Proximity Lock Tool
Another interesting option is similar to Knock, where you can put in a 'tap pattern' to unlock your Mac. Then just tap the pattern on your touchpad.
I wouldn't personally use this though, as who knows if you would get the pattern exactly right? You would get some really weird looks in the coffee shop, as you sit there tapping and muttering 'Dancing Queen…feel the beat….'
Mac Proximity Lock App
Conclusion
Mac Proximity Lock
As previously mentioned, some might consider these apps to be little more than party gimmicks. But if you sit at a computer all day long, entering a very long and complicated password dozens of times a day, then tapping a button on your phone instead sounds very appealing (at least to me anyway).
Is this something which appeals to you? Do you know of any other simple and affordable apps which do the same thing? If so, let us know in the comments below.
