I have two different programs running on my computer that cause it to check in with central servers every few minutes, Find my iPhone (part of Apple’s iCloud service) and Absolute LoJack (which is well-nigh impossible to find and disable).
They both offer me the ability to identify the location of my computer if it’s stolen, but what Apple doesn’t help with is what to do once you find your stolen device again. And that’s a dangerous task to take into your own hands…