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3bs

macrumors 603
May 20, 2011
5,434
24
Dublin, Ireland
Depends who's doing the knocking. :p

Yes, it takes force to break an iPhone4 back, but not as much as you'd think. I know somehow who simply misjudged the position of a shelf and caught the corner of their iPhone4 on it. Crack! :(

Apple replaced it of course, but still inconvenient, and they could call deliberate damage in this App's case.

I'm glad we don't have to worry about that anymore.
 

Chazz08

Cancelled
Dec 4, 2012
560
105
You checked badly.

No, I didn't. Would you like to see? If you're just going to say that then tell me why instead of being a douche.

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2010 MacBook Pro doesn't have 4.0, that I'm aware... Which model do you have?

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lol. Cruel. But funny. :)

Thanks for being helpful. I have the 13-in Mid 2010. Under system profiler it says Bluetooth version 4.2. Is this not the version?
 

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
No, I didn't. Would you like to see? If you're just going to say that then tell me why instead of being a douche.

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Thanks for being helpful. I have the 13-in Mid 2010. Under system profiler it says Bluetooth version 4.2. Is this not the version?

Not sure what to tell you...

All I see is this:

http://support.apple.com/kb/sp583

That states your laptop has BT 2.1.. That 4.2 may just be the software version (confusingly). My software version is 4.2, as well.

Apple Bluetooth Software Version: 4.2.0f6 12982

Can you post a screenshot of that Bluetooth info in System Information?
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,563
6,061
I'm curious how the Mac end of this app works... what APIs are they using to run this from the lock screen and to allow it to unlock the Mac?

It's a really neat proof of concept, though I expect Apple will implement a similar/better thing shortly, utilizing TouchID rather than the simple fact that the iPhone was nearby and knocked.
 

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
Spent the £2.49 because it seems too cool to actually work... Holy ******, works perfectly!!!!

Seriously I am super impressed!
 

Chazz08

Cancelled
Dec 4, 2012
560
105
Not sure what to tell you...

All I see is this:

http://support.apple.com/kb/sp583

That states your laptop has BT 2.1..

Can you post a screenshot of that Bluetooth info in System Information?

Sure thing. There's also a bunch of numbers....haha. Someone else said maybe it's the firmware, which would make sense I guess....bummer.
 

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seamer

macrumors 6502
Jul 24, 2009
426
164
Will this work on my computers at work (imac 2012) and at home (macbook pro 2012)? Not interested if it only connects to one system total
 

adam044

macrumors 65816
Jan 24, 2012
1,095
10
Boston
Nothing new there's other apps out there that unlock your computer when you are close by. They all sucked maybe this will be different because you have to knock.

Now who's sending me a copy?!
 

outie2k

macrumors regular
Jun 20, 2010
209
53
It works ok, but not 100% consistent. To be honest, it's still faster to type in the password especially you have to wake up the screen first.
 

Parasprite

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2013
1,698
144
So, I'm assuming this doesn't replace the Mac password login screen with its own, and that it uses "something like a shell script" to pass login data pre-entered on the Mac part of the app.

I mean, I doubt they could do the former without gaping holes in security (not that Apple/OS X would be a very willing participant to allow any app to mess with that). The latter however seems like a clean and secure way to implement it (you know, as long a you don't get glass everywhere*), albeit a bit gimmicky.

*I seriously doubt that anyone running this will actually manage to break their phone.**
**Imagining this as a one of Apple's built-in OS X/iOS features would certainly spring up at least one bafflingly entertaining lawsuit.
 

7thson

macrumors 65816
May 13, 2012
1,358
1,470
Six Rivers, CA
I predict Apple buys this before the end of the year. Probably in the 20 million range. That's it, now I'm an analyst. :D
 

jephrey

macrumors regular
Dec 19, 2005
214
84
I'd probably rather type a password than take my phone out and knock it.

I'd like a proximity app. When I'm within bluetooth range it unlocks. Obviously not usable in every situation but it'd be neat to set up to unlock based on a signal strength so it'd only unlock within 5' or something like that. Maybe an option to be in proximity AND unlock your phone causes your computer to unlock.

Not a bad concept, a form of it would be nice even for a house or car (which I think we've seen to a degree) but it has to make it easier, not just exchange typing for knocking.
 

jk111

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2007
141
98
OK so I know this come across as totally shill-y, but hell, - the idea of this sounded too much fun so I just grabbed it. Honestly, even the installation process is more polished than I could imagine.

And it works, perfectly. I put my phone in my pocket, glass facing in, in the Apple iPhone 5s leather case, and tapping the back of the phone twice unlocks the iMac perfectly.

I did find that the accelerometer sensitivity is lower at the bottom of the 5s than the top, so I just tap more toward the top of the phone (which is actually at the bottom of my pocket).

Anyway, A+ to the developers, - this is a seriously slick app.

PS Using this with 2012 iMac.

I also went for it and bought it. I was very surprised as well, the UI for setting up is extremely polished and very simplistic. Couldn't have been easier, and works every time with very light taps.
 

icrude

macrumors regular
Dec 29, 2006
197
117
and I'm guessing there's no way to knock my phone to make my laptop wake up from sleep and log in?
 

redscull

macrumors 6502a
Jul 1, 2010
849
832
Texas
It works ok, but not 100% consistent. To be honest, it's still faster to type in the password especially you have to wake up the screen first.

Yeah, I bit. Tried it. The fact that you have to manually wake up your Mac first pretty much kills any convenience it offers. If I have to already be at the Mac, interacting with the keyboard or mouse, what am I going to do while I wait for the little green circle to indicate it's listening for my knock? I'm just going to type in my password, that's what.

This thing needs wake-on-lan or something so that I can "knock open" my iMac while I'm walking into my office. That way my desktop is ready for me by the time I sit down at the desk. Then it'd be useful. This is hardly more than a neat tech demo. =/
 

anall44

macrumors newbie
Nov 5, 2013
1
0
You have to first wake up your Mac!!

You have to manually touch a key to wake your Mac up before knocking on the iPhone. It simply doesn't wake on its own due to your proximity, like they make it seem in the video. When he comes over from behind the pillar they screen jump to the mac being on so you don't see him having to wake it up.

My experience with iPhone 5s and rMBP:

When you walk up to the computer you have to press a key to wake it up, then a green light circles your icon similarly to the light around the Siri microphone. This is when it then begins to contact your iPhone; once the light goes solid green then can you knock on your iPhone... This can take up to 6 seconds... not a long time but since I have to touch my computer anyways I then just have to sit there and not try and type in a password.

The knock pattern has to be have a fairly specific knock-knock pattern, too slow or too fast will result in a decline.

The Mac app simply enters your password into the field to unlock for those of you wondering about that.

I wish it wasn't $4, good idea but make it wake up the Mac so whenever I reach it to sit down it is already for a knock or I can knock as I approach. I bought the Keycard proximity unlock app that does a similar thing. It appears they are all a bit lagging in speed and make themselves more inconvenient than anything else.

I read the reviews before I bought and no one clarified this wake issue so I hope I helped someone..
 
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