Lock Your PC with Phone When You Walk Away

For consumers looking for a good way to "lock" a PC or laptop when away, Phoenix Technologies offers a unique solution: Freeze.

What makes this application cool is that it enables mobile phones the ability to place computers in a "locked" mode by way of a paired Bluetooth connection. Users merely need to step away from the PC far enough--with the mobile phone in hand--in order to activate the lock. However, the service isn't free, and only works on Windows XP (32-bit Professional, Home), Windows Vista (32-bit Home, Ultimate, Business), with future plans to support Windows 7 and Mac OS at a later (unspecified) date.

"This combination offers safety, security, and peace of mind without the annoying effort required to constantly lock and unlock your PC with passwords or finger swipes," said the company. "For those who are particularly cautious and for those with a particularly critical need to secure data, you will be able to make Freeze a part of a multifactor authentication process and still reduce the time and effort required to achieve a highly secure PC experience."

According to the company, the Freeze application uses the paired Bluetooth signal from the mobile phone and computer to establish a configurable "zone of safety." When the mobile phone passes out of the zone, the program locks the PC or laptop at the Windows level, thus hiding the actual desktop and preventing access to stored files. The application can even be configured to put the computer into a reduced-power sleep mode that saves energy and laptop battery life. When the mobile phone returns to the zone of safety, the program unlocks the PC or laptop.

On the mobile phone end, the connection works like a Bluetooth headset. The installed Freeze program on the PC or laptop will search for the phone and send a pairing PIN when discovered. The PIN number must be entered into the Bluetooth section of the mobile phone in order for the process to work. Once established, a secure token will be generated, pairing both devices. During the next session, both devices will use the previously generated link key to authenticate each other, and will not need pairing. Unfortunately, Freeze only supports one paired phone at a time, however one phone can control multiple computers (such as Freeze on a laptop and Freeze on a desktop).

But why would anyone need the Freeze application? After all, consumers can set a password-protected screensaver to activate in less than a minute " Freeze eliminates the delay associated with the manual lock and unlock functions," the company said. Phoenix Technologies also said that Freeze will work with any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, however the company lists only four specific models/brands on the website: Blackberry, the Casio G'zOne Boulder, Apple's iPhone 3G, and the LG Titanium.

To view a flash demonstration, head here. The company is currently offering a 14-day free trial, although the website is currently not listing application pricing or subscription fees.

Just make sure your phone doesn't die while you're away.