Insurance isn’t the most glamorous subject in the world, but being without it can cost you dearly. Home contents insurance covers your personal possessions, so if they are stolen or damaged, or lost, you’ll be able to replace the items in a flash. Read on to find out how to get the cheapest cover.

Contents insurance comes in many different levels, so the first thing you need to do is work out what you want to cover. When you take out a policy it may include lots of extras such as garden shed insurance. However, if you don’t have a garden shed, this is useless!

If there are things in your home you want to insure that are not normally included in basic home insurance, or if you want accidental damage cover, then find out how much it will cost to add them. Mobile phones for example, are easily stolen, lost or damaged. But it may be cheaper to insure them separately elsewhere, such as a specialist mobile phone insurer, so don’t be tempted to add unnecessary extra’s if you can do it cheaper elsewhere.

Comparison websites are your best weapon against paying over the odds, so always use them to find the cheapest cover. Before starting, add up the value of your items to make sure you are covering yourself adequately. Idemnity Policies are generally cheaper, as these replace items at their current value, not the price you bought them for.

Many could argue that Apple’s latest iPhone has undergone relatively few changes to warrant its adoration from ardent fans. After all, it’s essentially the same phone dressed up in a different colour, or rather a choice of three different colours – champagne, silver or space grey.

However, there are subtle changes that make this iPhone Apple’s best to date. And in particular, one ingenious feature that puts it way ahead of its competitors. Touch ID.

The iPhone 5s’ Touch ID is such a simple concept, that until now, we’ve only been exposed to something similar in the movies. Think Tom Cruise accessing all manner of high-tech things in, well, pretty much all of his recent movies.

Touch ID does away with entering a security passcode to access the iPhone 5s. Having said that, Apple has sensibly retained this feature for users who prefer the security of entering a passcode to unlock their phone. This brand is anything but inconsiderate.

Using fingerprint scanning, the latest iPhone allows you to unlock and access your phone by pressing the Home button with your finger. It’s as simple as that.

As well as unlocking your phone, the Touch ID feature can be used in place of your iTunes’ password when purchasing apps and downloads. This eliminates the need to recall your password from the recesses of your mind where it hangs out with numerous others. Enough said.

The initial set up of the Touch ID feature couldn’t be simpler. When prompted, just rub the pad of your preferred finger up and down the Home button, aka the sensor. This allows the feature to map your fingerprint. To get an even better image of your unique identity, you’re also asked to place the edges of your finger on the sensor too. This ensures better accuracy and factors in the differing placement of your finger during day-to-day phone usage. A slight buzz and an on-screen message will indicate finger recognition is complete and you’re good to go.

Your fingerprint is stored on the iPhone 5s’ A7 chip. When you press the Home button, or we should say, the Touch ID sensor, it communicates directly with this to verify your fingerprint. Clever, eh?

Your fingerprint is only stored on the A7 chip and nowhere else on your phone. This means it won’t get backed up to iCloud and therefore won’t be available to others. And if alarming movie visuals of severed fingers keep popping into your head whilst you’re reading this, don’t worry; the sensor requires a live finger!

The Touch ID feature is a great addition to the new iPhone 5s and has the scope to be utilised on other devices in the future. We’re sure it won’t be too long before we see widespread use of this ingenious feature by Apple. All that is left to say is, watch this space.