Now here's a practical reason, albiet not work-related, to keep your smartphone on your person while your chillin' at home after a long day. Turn your mobile into a universal remote.

The AVI Shadow is a small box that can receive a signal from your phone via Bluetooth and send it to your other devices via infrared technology. Just plug in the shadow in your living room or den, then use your smartphone or the company's Web site to customize your controls. That's it.

Currently compatible with BlackBerry smartphones, the AVI Shadow can control a TV, DVD player, TiVo or set-top box. .

The company behind the Shadow, Unify4Life, also offers Garage Shadow, a device that adds "garage door opener" to your smartphone's long list of capabilities.