The mobile revolution has made smartphones ideal for sharing the latest status updates, photos, and apparently our germs. Working with a lab, the Wall Street Journal tested a batch of smartphones for bacteria. The results are alarming.
It seems that greasy glass surface and the humid heat from our mouths, noses and ears can create quite a culture of germs, including some nasty ones.
All of the devices tested had high levels of coliforms, a bacteria indicating fecal contamination.
The report covers some of the cleaning dos-and-don'ts listed by manufacturers. You might be leery of dousing your phone with household cleaners.
There are a number of products out there that claim to safely disinfect gadgets ranging from liquid solutions claimed to be safe for electronics to completely dry UV cleaners. Among the more interesting developments is a technology inspired by shark-skin which has bacterial-resistant properties.
Matthew Fortner has been at The News & Observer since 2002. He has a passion for gadgets, cutting-edge technology and all things geek.