Palm Discovery would like to extend a BIG THANKS to Thomas of USB Fever for providing the product for this review.

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As much as we can all agree that the computer can be a useful tool for families for accessing information, we also have to agree that we want to make sure that it is used in moderation, especially for younger members of the family. This is where USB Fever’s USB Wireless PC Timer Lock can be very useful as it can help a parent limit its use by setting a timer access or setting it to lock when the parent is not within viewing distance of the computer.

For those who want to skip over all the detailed review and just want a summary, you can jump to the review summary

This USB Wireless PC Timer lock, as the name says, is a wireless PC timer lock that can be used first, as a PC lock to automatically lock access to a computer when the wireless transmitter is out of range (> 2 meters) of the USB receiver and unlock when the transmitter is back within range. The PC Timer lock can also be used as a timer lock whereby you can set a predetermined time for access before the time runs out and the computer is locked. This program can be unlocked in two ways: either by having the wireless transmitter within range of the USB receiver or manually entering the password at the computer.

More details (taken from USB Fever’s website):

If you think our PC Lock is still not enough, then we have another option that definitely will be right for you!

- PC Lock x 1
- Remote Control (battery included) x 1
- Driver CD x 1

Click on the thumbnail images for a bigger picture

Product Video

Video at YouTube

Here are my observations:

This program works as advertised and shown in my video review. It can first of all be used as a locking program to lock out the computer when the transmitter is out of range. When the wireless transmitter is out of range of the receiver, the software program will automatically lock the computer, showing a screen with a view of a field with bales of hay. To access the computer, you must either enter a password or bring the wireless transmitter back to within range.

Alternatively, this lock can also be used as a timer lock, allowing a specific allotment of time for its use before it locks up. This can be very good to set a limited time of computer use for younger members of the family.

I don’t have much complaints with this program. The only annoyance about this program is that it is set to run at Windows start up and I don’t necessarily need it to run all the time. My solution is to go into the registry and delete the key so that it doesn’t run at Windows start up so that I can simply run the program when I want to set the timer or use it. Otherwise, leaving it to run at Windows start up can be very annoying, especially if you set various logon profiles for members of the family .

Review Summary

USB Fever’s USB Wireless PC Timer Lock works as expected, locking a computer in various different ways: setting a timer or locking when the portable transmitter is out of range of the receiver. This can be a very useful tool for parents who wish to be able to control computer access to younger members of the family to allocated times or when they are close by. When locked, access to the computer can be achieved by a manual password entry or when the wireless transmitter is within 2 meters of the receiver.

Keep in mind that although this works, as with any accessory or software, depending on who is accessing and using the computer, it can be circumvented if the user is savvy enough to figure out what can be done to get around it. This should not be solely relied on as a solution to controlling computer access or usage to younger users but can be a good complementary tool.

Check out USB Fever’s USB Wireless PC Timer Lock here.

Palm Discovery has no affiliation with USB Fever but thank them for providing the products for the reviews.

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