There is a phenomenon that accompanies the purchase of a new smartphone: Other people want to try it. Friends, coworkers, whomever, often check their e-mail, make a call or look up the most recent YouTube triumph on other people’s new phones. This phenomenon carries with it many things—friendship, community and, yes, contagious germs. So before your new gadget lands you in sick bay, give the UV Cell Phone Sanitizerfrom The Sharper Image a try. Its “ultraviolet germ-killing technology” rids your smartphone and its attachments (ear buds, Bluetooth headset, etc.) of strep, e-coli, salmonella, listeria and even the H1N1 virus. $49.99. thesharperimage.com.

The Optimal Intensity Light Therapy System emits 10,000 lux of therapeutic light to help people battle things like Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter when ice and freezing temperatures cause depression. Here in Southwest Florida, the blues from lack of sunlight are much more likely to occur when sitting in a cubicle with little window access for 40 hours a week. The Optimal Intensity Light Therapy System can help that, too. Just 30 minutes a day in front of it lowers melatonin levels, the chemical produced by the body that leads to SAD. $189.95. www.hammacher.com.