U.S. travelers value their mobile devices

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NEW CANAAN, Conn., June 22 (UPI) -- American vacationers get anxious without their mobile computing devices and get angry when they cannot access power sources to charge them, a survey found.

The "Tech Norms for Travelers" survey, conducted by Intel for market research firm TNS, found Americans feel an emotional bond with these mobile devices to the point of feeling calmer and less stressed when they have access to this technology while vacationing.

Almost half of U.S. travelers admitted feeling anxious traveling without their mobile computing device, such as a notebook or tablet computer, and 87 percent of young adults 18 to 29 years old said they feel happier when traveling with their devices, an Intel release reported Wednesday.

The survey also found mobile device security and privacy were significant concerns for U.S. travelers, with 46 percent citing worries that the device may be lost or stolen or that someone might look at their device's screen.

"With summer travel now in full swing, we find that many people have a few common must-have items on their trip packing lists -- Ultrabook, tablet and laptop," Intel's Mike Fard said.

"The bond between travelers and their tech devices has strengthened greatly over the past few years with the explosion of instant information, entertainment and services conveniently available on the Web."

The survey was conducted online within the United States May 9-13 among a nationally representative sample of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 and older with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.