Do you know how to use all your gadgets?

Technology advances

Many people like buying all the latest gadgets so that they can say they have the latest 'it' item, but how many of them actually know how to use them?

According to a new survey, many consumers are flummoxed by new technologies such as DAB radios and HD-ready televisions.

According to the research conducted on behalf of Sky HD, the average Briton only uses half of the functions available on their gadgets.

Almost half of the 3000 people questioned by One Poll did not know that their HD-ready television needed to be connected to a high-definition device, such as a Blu-ray DVD player or HD service, in order to enjoy high-definition pictures, the British paper The Telegraph reports.

Only a quarter of men will ask for help with their gadgets, compared to 47 percent of women. Almost two thirds of women will read the product manual when problems occur, compared to 54 percent of men. Ten percent of IT experts admitted to resorting to the age-old solution of hitting a gadget in order to try and make it work properly.

The least tech-savvy city was Glasgow, where they used just 42 percent of the functions available on their gadgets. In contrast, Wolverhampton's residents got the most value for their money, using almost 80 percent of their gadgets' abilities.

£3000 worth of electrical goods

The survey found that the average British consumer owns more than GBP£3000 worth of electrical goods, but it calculated that the UK 'gadget gap' - the difference between the amount people spend on their gadgets compared to the value of functions they actually use - is more than GBP£52 billion.

The 'gadget gap' was calculated by dividing the average value of a person's gadget collection by the average number of features people don't know how to use. This total was then multiplied by the number of households in the UK to arrive at a figure of GBP£52 billion.

Jodie Humphries

Jodie Humphries graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA Hons in Creative Writing in 2008. She has worked for GDS Publishing for the digital group since July 2009. She has previous experience with writing for the web, running her own website since April 2007.

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