So, Slick, you went out and invested in some flashy smartphone so you can do productive things like check hoops scores; read the latest Britney, Lindsay, and Paris gossip; and, oh yeah, receive work e-mails, too. That's great. You rock. Now, what are you going to do to keep your new purchase safe from the dangerous world out there? Here are a handful of ideas to prevent your smartphone from becoming a casualty of the business environment.It must have been divine intervention. When I bought my first Treo, a little voice in my head said, "Pay for the protection plan, stupid!" Going against my better judgment, I decided to pony up the $4.99 per month fee to insure the $400 device against misfortune. It turns out that was money well spent.

It wasn't a month later before my Treo managed to slip from my jacket pocket whilst I disembarked from a cab and split open upon smacking into the street. It all happened in slow motion, of course, and the Treo's journey through space and time seemed to last an eternity as I fumbled madly for it. Much to the Treo's dismay, I am just not that coordinated, and it died an early death.

I brought the shattered remains to the local wireless store a day later in a shoebox like it was my dead pet from fifth grade. They may not have replaced it on the spot, but I eventually did get a new Treo in the mail (and a bit of a scolding from that store manager).

There's also the time I accidentally dropped my former manager's Sierra Wireless Voq Phone into a glass of wine, but we won't get into that one...

If you're looking to avoid tragedies such as these, here are a few pointers:

1. Buy the blasted insurance! Even if you are as agile as a cat, everyone drops stuff. You'd be surprised how many people I know drop their phones into toilets. Speaking of which...

2. Don't take phone calls, check e-mail, send text messages in the bathroom stall. Toilets attract phones of all sorts. Not only will it ruin your phone, but fishing it out is icky. I know you're at some fancy dinner with clients and reading e-mail at the table is verboten. But still, do your business before doing your business.

3. If your smartphone doesn't come with a good holster, get one. Make sure it has a flap that locks the phone in. (Your pocket just won't cut it, no matter how tight those jeans are.) Even if you drop the holster, the phone will be somewhat protected from the full impact.

4. As many smartphones are kind of slippery, rubberized "protection skins" are great for keeping them in hand. Of course, they also make them harder to fish out of your pocket, but what are a few missed calls? Skins can also protect against spilled drinks, your neighbor's water sprinkler, and taking phone calls in the rain.

5. Don't want your screen looking like a NYC subway car window? Buy a screen protector. These thin pieces of film prevent your keys from scratching up the surface of your smartphone's screen.

If you Google "cell phone accessories" you will be rewarded with 12 million results that will put you on the path to purchasing the right protection for you.