Don’t lose your electronic stuff, it can be costlier than you realize

I haven’t lost a cell phone yet.

In the 1990s, I left a brand-new Sony Discman, on its maiden cross-country flight, in a seat-back pocket. It was never to be seen again.

Also, in that decade, I dropped my Day-Timer datebook at O’Hare Airport, but the airport’s lost-and-found department mailed it back to me.

I’ve also lost one spare laptop battery (seatback pocket), several AC adapters (hotel rooms, mostly), books (hotel rooms, mostly), and at least two pair of prescription sunglasses (rental cars)

The loss of a piece of equipment can be costly (iPod, digital camera, noise-canceling headphones, GPS), devastating to business (USB key, PDA, laptop, ID card) and threatening to personal identity (wallet, laptop, PDA, cell phone).

In her blog post yesterday, my good friend Amy Wohl makes a good point: Electronic tools need tethers.

Have you lost any of those items? Did you ever get ’em back?