Though iPod thefts are reportedly common, the new software has yet to catch on. GadgetTrak, a firm that sells its software as an annual subscription for $13, says it has tracked down only three iPods and two other electronic devices in the past several months. That may be because owners don’t want to be confrontational. Or because the software may be defeatable, which is why Jewell’s company is giving it away. Or perhaps a savvy thief can just erase the software. Could Apple itself build individual codes into the hardware of every iPod, and then track stolen ones via iTunes? An Apple spokesman declined to comment. There might be privacy issues—and, of course, there might be no profit in it. Your best bet: don’t lose your iPod in the first place.
