Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - GPS tracker recovers stolen property

Not specifically about bicycles, and the GPS used is not mentioned, but it does prove GPS trackers can recover stolen property, so it could work for a bicycle.

GPS tracking device leads police to men suspected of breaking into homes in Rochester Hills, Troy

http://www.freep.com/article/20120327/NEWS03/120327036/construction-thefts-breaking-and-entering-rochester-hills-oakland-county-sheriff-s-office?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Please don't fall for the common misconception: having a GPS will not, in any way, help you become reunited with your property. You must have a device that's capable of transmitting your property's position to you, directly or indirectly. GPS is a receive-only technology - the satellites are NOT listening for anything (except control signals). Obviously the device transmitting position needs to calculate position, and GPS (or other technology) is essential to that portion of the puzzle. The Garmin on your handlebars is NOT going to help you find your handlebars though.

Its only the GPS units that are combined in some way with transmitters that can be turned on to track things. So, for example, almost all GSM cell phones (which contain a GPS chip for e911) can be used to find its holder's location. Typically they also have WAAS so its accurate to around 3 m.

A $5 GPS dongle or a $50 PND sans phone does not contain a transmitter, no.

Parents like them because they can keep tabs on their kids. Bosses with workers too.

Even down to what products they buy at the store. (what aisles they linger in, etc.) Cell phone companies are making a lot of money selling that information. Soon people will use them like money. You'll just take products out of the store and they will be automatically deducted from your account, no checkout necessary. They are already doing this in EU and Japan/Korea. We are around ten years behind.

Google "location aware services" or "location aware"

Many active devices have location aware capabilities. For example, transponders inside of credit cards and passports are able to respond to queries up to around 5 or 10 meters.

People are scanned when they enter and leave stores, drive, park, etc. This is routine. Nothing new is happening.