NBC NEWS' CHRIS HANSEN TRACKS DOWN STOLEN IPODS AND CONFRONTS THOSE WHO TOOK THEM IN A HIDDEN CAMERA INVESTIGATION AIRING ON WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1 ON 'DATELINE NBC' AT 10PM

NEW YORK � July 26, 2007 � The iPod is everywhere. Originally billed as "a thousand songs in your pocket," it can now hold up to 20,000 songs and hundreds of hours of video and photographs. With a staggering one hundred ten million sold, the device has become an international icon, status symbol and indispensable part of life for many. It has also become the target of criminals. In Los Angeles, robberies of iPods and other gadgets shot up 34% last year and in San Francisco iPod thefts doubled. This new crime wave has led to some schools across the country banning iPods and its even coined a new phrase, "I-Jacking."

Now, in a hidden camera investigative report airing on Wednesday, Aug. 1 (10:00 p.m. ET), Chris Hansen and NBC News producers take matters into their own hands to see if its possible to track down and confront people who take iPods that don't belong to them. After monitoring iPods being stolen or picked up by people across the country, NBC News producers use some hi tech wizardry to track down the iPods and confront the people who have them in their possession. Hansen talks with them and finds out that some of the people still have them, while others had no idea they were stolen because the iPods were a gift. He also interviews law enforcement and a technology expert to ask the obvious question: Can Apple track them down?

David Corvo is executive producer for "Dateline NBC."