By Megan O'Connell, Student at UW-Platteville

With Spring Break right around the corner, most of us are planning and longing for those glorious days off. Sunshine, road trips, beaches, friends, no homework and lazy days are on our minds.

You are probably already making your Spring Break to-do and to-pack lists, hoping it will arrive quickly. But when making your lists, don’t forget to make sure all your tech products are going to be protected during your trip.

If you are anything like me, you don’t want to be traveling without your phone, iPad, laptop or camera. You also don’t want to be constantly worrying about the safety of your technology.

Amy Turpie, marketing communications manger for Kensington, offered some great advice and great products to make sure you travel safely with your technology in hand, because let’s face it, no one wants to leave that stuff at home!

After all, what kind of Spring Break would it be if we weren’t constantly Instagraming all of our delicious meals, SnapChatting pictures of hot lifeguards to our friends or updating Twitter and Facebook with Spring Break updates?

Megan: How important is it to make sure your technology is safe while traveling?

Amy: Protecting and keeping your technology safe while traveling is of the utmost importance! Just a few stats to think about: Every 3.5 seconds, a mobile phone is lost or stolen and upwards of 10,000 laptop computers are stolen each day, not to mention that the real cost of your stolen laptop computer, for example, may actually be thousands of dollars. Simply consider the valuable data it holds, lost productivity and the cost of replacing it.

And perhaps now securing your technology is more important than ever — with the huge popularity and growing use of tablets, particularly the iPad — “home” to your videos, pictures and other personal content. Kensington is a strong advocate of implementing a “first line of defense” so that you can save time, cost and the heartache of replacing your most valuable mobile devices.

M: How can the Folio SecureBack Protective Case, Cover, and Lock for iPad help students keep their iPad safe over Spring Break?

A: Spring Break should be a fun time and for creating great memories — not the memory of your iPad or iPhone being stolen or lost. Kensington offers a great lineup of products that keep all of your mobile devices protected wherever you may be — on the road, in a hotel, a quick stop at a roadside cafe — we have you covered.

The Kensington Folio SecureBack Case & Lock for iPad (4th gen, 3rd gen & iPad 2) is the perfect travel companion for Spring Break. First and foremost, it protects your iPad on the go and the ability to secure it wherever your final destination may be. Leveraging Kensington’s ClickSafe® lock technology, the Folio SecureBack Case & Lock for iPad is designed to be the strongest and easiest-to-use lock available without compromising security. ClickSafe is great because it offers a keyless locking motion makes protecting your iPad so easy — all that you have to do is click it on and done!

M: Is such a case too bulky to travel with?

A: No, it’s not too bulky to travel with and that’s just another great feature of the Folio SecureBack Case & Lock for iPad. It’s lightweight with a slim design while adding security and protection. Some other great features that users will appreciate include that the iPad can quickly and easily slide right in for grab-and-go convenience. Conversely, it’s easy to remove your iPad from the Folio as well. Worth mentioning that it also looks great, folds up to act as two-way stand with typing and viewing modes and the Folio protects the back and sides of your iPad from bumps and scratches. There’s just really no reason not to use the Folio — it secures your iPad from loss and theft with literally just one click and you are good to go!

M: Why do you recommend the PowerBolt 2.1 Fast Charge for students spending Spring Break on the road?

A: Arrive at your Spring Break destination with your mobile devices fully juiced and the PowerBolt products only draw the power these devices need and no more. We recommend the Kensington PowerBolt 2.1 Fast Charge for use while on the road because it’s the ultimate in convenience for keeping your iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 5, Nano 7 or iPod Touch 5 fully charged from your vehicle’s power outlet.

Quick tips for Spring Break tech safety from Amy Turpie:

• Never place your laptop bag, tablet or your smartphone where is it not in direct line of sight. Don’t put it under a table, beside your chair or under your seat. If you can’t see it, then you won’t notice when it disappears or you leave it behind.
   
• When you must look away, be sure you are physically touching it — either with a hand, arm, foot or leg. Always have physical contact with your laptop bag or tablet folio when you are purposely looking away or not paying direct attention to it. A thief only needs a few seconds of inattention or distraction to lift your mobile device out of your life.
   
• Never leave your mobile devices out and in view without locking it down with a cable lock. For example, if there is a reason to take out your laptop or tablet in public, then protect it from theft by locking it down to either an immovable object or the most cumbersome object available. Don’t make it easy for the thief.
   
• Clearly label your mobile devices (such as on the bottom or back of an iPhone), with your name and contact information. Thus, if your device is found by an upstanding citizen, they can return it to you.
   
• Don’t trust others, especially strangers. While most people are good and trustworthy, not every person is a good selection as a sentry over your things as you make a quick trip to the bathroom, cashier or newsstand.