Technology has altered the petty crime scene in Canadian schools. The most popular item subject to theft or mugging in educational institutions and outside is the iPod.

The convenient music storage worth $400 has dislodged the Walkman and Nike Air Jordans as the most coveted items on and off campus.

According to Constable Scott Mill, youth officer of the Toronto Crime Stoppers community, at least once a week they receive reports of iPods being grabbed by fellow students or strangers from a student.

The epidemic proportion of the problem is reflected in the death of 23-year old Michael Oatway who was stabbed to death while grappling his iPod which an Ottawa man tried to steal while both were aboard a city bus. The Oatway trial is slated this week.

Because of the rise of iPod mugging incidents, the British Columbia Safety Council warned young Canadians not to flash their gizmo in public, which makes them targets of petty thieves. The same advice holds for owners of another popular gadget, especially among young techies, the iPhone.

These two devices are among the best-selling products of Apple, which reported record-breaking sales the past quarters for the two items. In October, the iPhone displaced Motorola's Razr as the best selling phone in the U.S.