Brandon Ballenger Writer

I'm a freelance writer based in Pompano Beach, Fla. who's done work for The South Florida Business Journal and BusinessMiami, covering real estate, health care, and franchising. I received a bachelor's degree in English and public communication from Florida Atlantic University in 2008, and am currently pursuing a master's degree in communication there. In my free time, I read fantasy novels, plays video games, and take advantage of South Florida's perennial summer at the beach.

Posts by Brandon Ballenger

Verizon Tracks and Sells Your Phone Habits

Oct 17, 2012 - Here's how to stop Verizon from tracking what websites you visit and what apps you use, categorizing you, and bundling that data to sell it to marketing companies.

Now, A Ford Recall

Oct 17, 2012 - Hot on the heels of recalls from Honda and Toyota, Ford admits a safety flaw in over 150,000 cars.

20 Best Cities to Trick or Treat In

Oct 16, 2012 - Where can you safely score a lot of candy? A real estate site crunched its wealth of data to find out.

Students’ Cheetos Confiscated

Oct 16, 2012 - Teachers and administrators at some schools are snatching up students' salty snacks over nutrition and addiction concerns.

FBI: Watch for Phone Viruses

Oct 16, 2012 - The government is warning about dangerous programs that could steal data from your phone or secretly monitor it. Here's what to watch for.

More on the Mortgage Settlement Cash

Oct 16, 2012 - We now have a better idea how much eligible Floridians who lost their homes will get from the multibillion national bank settlement.

Fruits and Veggies Boost Happiness?

Oct 16, 2012 - Feeling down? Have a banana. Researchers found a link between healthy eating and mental health.

Beauty Product Claims Exposed

Oct 15, 2012 - Find out what the selling points on your favorite shampoo and cosmetics really mean.

Political Robocalls Annoying, But Not Illegal

Oct 15, 2012 - How do the automated call laws work? Here's an explanation.

Coupons on a First Date?

Oct 15, 2012 - Find out whether people think using a coupon on the first date is a dealbreaker (pun intended) or perfectly acceptable.

Amazon Credit for Kindle Books

Oct 15, 2012 - A proposed antitrust settlement means people who bought Kindle eBooks in the past two-and-a-half years may get some store credit for each one.

Get a Custom Name for a Phone Number

Oct 15, 2012 - Sprint's new service lets you claim short names or phrases and link them to your phone number. In other words, somebody could call you at **YOURNAME.

Toyota’s Largest Recall Ever

Oct 12, 2012 - The automaker says millions of U.S. cars may be affected by a power window switch problem that can cause fires.

The $15-Quadrillion Phone Bill

Oct 12, 2012 - Someone in France got an invoice saying she owed thousands of times what the entire country makes in a year. A company rep insisted there was no mistake.

The Average Cell Phone Bill

Oct 12, 2012 - Find out how much we spend on cell phone plans, and a bunch of other interesting stats.