By The Numbers

iInfringe

Marketplace Staff Oct 14, 2015
$862 million

That’s how much Apple could end up paying the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm for unlawfully using the school’s technology in its iPhones. A jury in Madison ruled that a technology used to improve processing efficiency found in the smartphones violates a patent held by the university. As Reuters writes, the ruling applies to the iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus and several versions of the iPad.

30 constituents

According to a new study by the Congressional Management Foundation, that’s how few constituents are needed to grab the attention of congressional staffers on social media. Citizens have often been encouraged to write their member of Congress to nudge them toward a particular policy outcome. But the old-fashioned letter, of course, is no longer the way most people communicate. James Pollack, the legislative correspondent for the office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California, said their office gets 2,000 to 4,000 emails a week.

2050

By that year, Toyota wants most of its gasoline cars eliminated and emissions from its autos reduced by 90 percent. As the New York Times reports, part of the initiative will also aim to clean up the way cars are produced; switching to hydrogen-powered technology; and developing ways to manufacture cars out of recycled parts.

30 years

That’s the length of many fixed-rate mortgages in the U.S. But surprisingly, America is one of the few developed countries that favors these long-lived mortgages. Some economists argue that it discourages homeownership in other countries.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.