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Overview
I like things that do stuff automatically without
user intervention. To have a presence sensor hooked up to my
computer that senses when I am in front of it and when not sounds
useful. The device is straight forward designed. At the end of a
long USB cable is a black box (1.75
x 1.75 x 7/8 inch) with a sensor and a 3 color LED on the front
side. That is it.
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I placed the pcProx Sonar sensor
under my monitor and it worked very well from there. It can
also be placed on top of the monitor with the bundled glue
pad. |
The pcProx Sonar is recognized as a USB
keyboard and the drivers are installed automatically. To work with
this gadget the pcProx Sonar Configuration Utility has to be
installed. The software is provided as download from
RFideas.
The utility has auto configuration options for windows 2000 and
windows XP. I have XP with welcome screen configuration. I choose
that option and the log-off (Walk-away) keystroke sequence is
automatically set (Windows Key, L). After clicking ok the
configuration is transferred to the USB device. I get up and right
away the system logs off - works as described. There is no need for
a Walk-Up keystroke sequence. Both events can have 5 keystrokes.
Each keystroke can have a combination of the modifier keys, CTRL,
ALT, Windows Key. Because there are only 5 keystrokes possible the
pcProx sonar is really just suited for automatic log-off and log-in
actions. I played around a bit and I could launch programs from the
quick start menu by configuring a sequence, Windows Key, followed by
the first letter of the application (e.g.: i for Internet Explorer).
So theoretically I could launch a custom application or batch file
with a pcProx keystroke sequence.
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General setup screen, where
detection range, action time delays, auto config and LED
control is managed. |
RFideas put some thought into the
product. For instance the LED light can be switched off - each color
signal individually. The LED light gets annoying overtime. The real
killer-application is to combine the pcProx Sonar with an RFid
Reader. This way users can not only be logged-out automatically, but
also logged-in. With just the sensor anybody including the cat can
walk up to the computer. Hence automatic login, without
identification is a bad idea. RFideas offers RFid readers and also
provides SDKs for custom access systems.
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Up to 5 keystrokes can be
configured. Each keystroke can have a combination of the
modifier keys shift, control, alt and windows key. |
Conclusion
If you have a sneaky room-mate or do not want
your boss see that you spent time again on I4U by forgetting to
log-off when leaving your PC, the pcProx Sonar is your solution. The
presence sensor will provide more value when combined with a RFid
reader solution that would enable automatic and secure log-in.
How to Buy
The RFideas pcProx Sonar
sensor sells for $129.00 at
RFideas Store. There are discounts for purchasing in volume.
Specifications
Requires operating system
support for USB port. Configuration software requires Windows 98,
2000, XP.
size: 1.75 x 1.75 x 7/8 inch
More details on RFideas
product page.
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The RFideas Ultra sonic sensor is
small, but not as small to be able to hide it. |
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