Friday, January 8, 2010

The ComputerProx TF2000, the product that started it all for me.

Okay, so it wasn’t the first great idea, but it was an epiphany for me. How a simple offhand comment in front of the right person can turn into an innovative new product.

Maybe you know Greg, or at least someone like Greg. A glass half full, always positive kind of guy. The kind that doesn’t see problems, but opportunities. So Greg’s in a meeting, it’s a typical meeting with your typical Hospital CIO, just trying to get a grip on his security issues and the problems HIPPA is causing him , when the CIO makes the off handed comment that what he really wants is the automated hand dryer for his computer. Although, instead of turning off the hot air when you removed your hands, he wanted his computer to lock when he walked away. Thus an idea was born - create a device that will automatically lock the computer and make it as simple as getting up and walking away.

So that’s how Greg created the TF2000. A little USB device the size of a small webcam that sits on top of your monitor and automatically locks your computer when you walk away.

It's actually pretty clever in its simplicity.

Plug it in and the computer thinks it's a keyboard and as it turns out it is - except the keystrokes you would normally press to lock your computer are stored inside the device (like the Windows plus the "L" key). When you walk away theTF2000 senses that you have left and sends those keystrokes, it 's that simple.

How does it know you left?

It has an ultrasonic sensor that can tell when you are sitting at your computer. You can even tell it where you like to sit - up close, far away doesn't matter it gets programmed in the TF2000 just like the key strokes. I've been using one for a while and it's great - I never forget to lock my computer. Now if someone could just figure out a way to automatically fill my car with gas....

Check out the TF2000 at http://www.computerprox.com/