The FBI published a new report revealing the most popular electronics stolen each year in the United States.  The top position was held by laptops, with mobile phones and smartphones coming in second place.  Overall, personal electronics continue to be popular items for thieves, and theft numbers of such items continues to rise.

In 2008, there were 109,000 confirmed laptop thefts, and only 18 percent of stolen laptops are returned to their rightful owner.  Around 80,000 mobile phones were stolen in 2008, which is a 33 percent increase from 2006.

In third position were TVs, as 53,000 stolen TVs -- many of them LCD TVs, which are easier to steal than older TVs – represented a 130 percent increase compared to 2006.

In fourth position in 2008, according to FBI numbers, were GPS units with 24,700 reported stolen in 2008.  Two years prior, however, there were only 3,700 GPS thefts, an incredible 700 percent growth in just two years.

Many people who have GPS units in their car often times leave them in plain view. Thieves find them an easy target because they're easy to conceal and there is high demand for them on the consumer market.

Cities across the country have noticed an increase in reported GPS unit thefts, with police urging owners to either take the GPS unit with them, or at least hide it under a seat or in the glove compartment.  In Orlando, Florida, just 5 percent of all car break-ins involved a GPS unit during 2006. However, that number increased to 14 percent in 2008, the Orlando Police Department noted.