News & Residential Blog

With Thanksgiving among its highlights, November is already a month that is strongly associated with giving thanks. And this November, FTC is giving its subscribers even more reason to put some gratitude on the menu this fall season! Beginning on…

He’s jolly, he’s bearded and he’s coming back! Santa is suiting up to pay a special visit to the FTC stores for Santa Photo Days Nov. 7 – Nov. 22. And this year, he’s bringing Mrs. Claus along with him!…

How To Get on the Do Not Call List & What To Do When It Does Not Work By now, many are fed up with incessant and unwanted telemarketing calls and have put their phone numbers on the National Do…

When young, inexperienced drivers are getting behind the wheel, safety concerns are always paramount for their loved ones. And for today’s teenagers, who are learning to navigate the roads in the digital age, the potential for distracted driving might be…

In the past, when on-the-go workers needed an internet connection for their digital devices such as laptops and tablets, they were forced to flock to coffee shops, libraries and other (often crowded) places offering public Wi-Fi. But thanks to an…

Once a term used almost exclusively by tech types, VoIP (an acronym that stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol”) has come to the forefront in recent years. In the digital era, the acronym has become more widely recognized by everyday…

In today’s digitally driven era, consumers use the internet for an array of purposes, ranging from the critically important to the downright trivial. But whether they are using their connections to get crucial work done, keep up with friends and…

According to the most recent available FBI crime statistics, Americans fell victim to more than 1.1 million burglaries in 2019, accounting for an estimated $3 billion in property losses. Further, more than 60% of the year’s burglary offenses targeted residential…

In the modern educational world, students’ primary learning tools go well beyond the pencils, paper, chalk and chalkboards that powered most classroom instruction in the past. And one educational tool, in particular, has become a go-to resource inside the classroom,…

For many 21st century parents, keeping kids’ screen time in check seems to be a never-ending challenge. But sessions spent on computers, tablets and smartphones do not always have to represent time poorly spent, even when the devices are in…

Named using an abbreviation that stands for “quick response,” QR codes originated in the 1990s in Japan’s automotive industry, where they were used to aid in the management of vehicle production. And since then, the pixelated squares that nearly instantly…

Today’s technology can enhance users’ lives in a broad range of important ways, from keeping them entertained and educated to helping get their jobs done, assisting with daily chores and connecting with loved ones. And sometimes, simple tasks even easier.…

As anyone who recalls the bulky size and limited functionality of the first commercially available cellphones can attest, mobile phone technology has come a long way since its introduction in the 1980s. And today, the technological gains being made with…

In the digital age, the days of consumers having to save up their unneeded household items for the next garage sale are long gone, along with the need to post signs around the neighborhood to hype up the event. Instead,…

Any American who has flown with a commercial airline during the past couple of decades is likely familiar with the requirement that smartphones be put in “Airplane Mode” during flight. The reason behind the rule is a regulation from the…

The market for streaming television and movies has seen a lot of growth in recent years. This has given consumers a range of new choices for seeing their favorite programs and films via their in-home internet connection and smart TV…

Television technology is constantly evolving and it has certainly come a long way since the early cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions that seemed to take up half the room and were limited to a maximum screen size of about 40…

For the majority of modern consumers, the smartphone is a nearly constant companion. It is brought along on nearly every trip outside of the home, and it stays by owners’ sides (or in their hands, pockets or purses) during the…

Often attributed to American Founding Father and leading 18th century intellectual Benjamin Franklin, the saying “A penny saved is a penny earned” still holds sway today, even centuries later. And while Franklin might not have coined the phrase (that honor…

According to a recent study, nearly half of all Americans experienced some sort of financial identity theft in 2020. The financial losses incurred were alarming, growing by 40% over 2019 to hit a total of more than $710 billion. Of…

With Thanksgiving coming up and the pre-Christmas advertising onslaught already ramping up, it has become abundantly clear: The holiday shopping season is nearly upon us. And as the most serious of holiday bargain hunters are well aware, some of the…

To boost their chances of filling a tag, most hunters will take any assistance they can get. And today’s smartphone technology can put a wide range of helpful digital tools in their quivers, some of which can even prove almost…

In modern-day America, most of today’s consumers are living in a digitally dominated world. So it should come as no big surprise, especially to parents of tweens and teens, that many of today’s kids are regularly finding fun and fraternization…