Can the accelerometer be configured to stop without being connected to the computer?
No. The logger can be set to start at a specific time however the only way to stop it is to connect it to the computer and use the software.
Here is a link to some video tutorials on how it all works - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsHoQ3TYdo9Sq7f1BbKdm-WyAgSzgZ7qS