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Story URL: http://hardware.silicon.com/pdas/0,39024643,39154732,00.htm

Techie Brits carry £1,000 of gadgets
We're a nation of gizmo addicts - but what happens if they get nicked?

By Steve Ranger

Published: Thursday 01 December 2005

Consumers are carting around £1,000 of gadgets every day - although few have any insurance for their tech goodies.

As MP3 players, PSPs, digital cameras and other devices become more portable, handbags and pockets are overflowing with expensive gizmos, according to insurer Direct Line.

It found that nearly 90 per cent of UK residents don't leave home without their mobile phone and more than a quarter carry their digital camera wherever they go.

And with eight million owning an iPod and nearly seven million possessing a laptop (average cost £900) "we really are a nation of gadget addicts", the company said.

silicon.com wants to hear your views on this. Do you stagger to work under the weight of your gadgets? Or do you keep them down to a minimum? Take our poll and tell us how much the devices you lug around are worth.

But the downside of this gadget addiction is that tech toys can be lost or stolen. Direct Line warned that many consumers are unaware how out-of-pocket they'll be if their gadgets are lost, stolen or damaged - even though two out of five consumers know someone who has lost, damaged or had a gizmo pinched in the last year.

Half of consumers assume their household insurance will automatically cover their valuable gadgets, and only one in 10 consumers has ensured cover is in place to protect their electronic devices.

Nearly half of consumers thought their insurance covers them for more than £1,000 worth of lost or stolen electronic devices - but Direct Line said personal possessions cover, normally an add-on to contents insurance, has to be specifically taken out. And if cover is required for an item worth more than £1,500 this also has to be individually added.

Consumers also have to think about the actual value of their devices - and include the "electronic wealth" such as music or video downloads that may also be lost.