Why smart products that require a smartphone app aren't always a smart buy

Your phone is probably on your person and working right now. But that's not always the case. I will go out on a limb and say that everyone reading this has a smartphone within reach at this very moment. In fact, most people reading this are doing so on their smartphones. Our phones have become an extension of our arms and we depend on them for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I'm seeing other products that also depend on your phone. By this, I don't mean something like a Philips Hue lamp that you...