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By The Numbers

Planes, Trains and Automobiles … and Drones

Marketplace Staff Oct 20, 2015
700,000

That’s how many drones are expected to be purchased in the U.S. this year. That’s up 63 percent from 2014. Federal regulators announced Monday that owners of recreational drones will be required to register the devices. Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson has the skinny on the new rulesThe move comes as incidents where drones have interfered with regular air traffic are on the rise. As the Washington Post writes, the FAA has received close to 100 reports a month from pilots claiming close calls with drones. 

$400 million

That’s about how much the first “Twilight” film took in, launching the major film franchise and putting director Catherine Hardwicke on the map. Or so she thought. “I thought, ‘Now it’s going to be a lot easier for me to make movies,'” she said. “That’s when I started to understand the gender bias.”

3,000

That’s how many tweets a day are received by Delta. With customer service becoming increasingly public — and increasingly within 140 characters — airlines have been increasing their social media teams to deal with real-time complaints coming from customers at airports. As the New York Times reports, Delta grew its social media team by 30 percent over the last year.

10 percent

That’s the stake in Weight Watchers bought by Oprah Winfrey. The news comes as the company attempts to become a lifestyle brand. Fans of Winfrey’s will remember the billionaire’s own struggles with weight loss, which she often documented on her show.

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