struggling

Struggling electric car sales

Business Update with Mark Lacter

Across the country, the sale of electric cars is sluggish.

Susanne Whatley: But business analyst Mark Lacter, that's not quite the case in California...

Mark Lacter: Well, comparatively speaking, Susanne.  L.A. and San Francisco alone made up 35 percent of the electric cars sold in the entire U.S. during the first half of the year - 35 percent!  Keep in mind that statewide just 9,700 electric cars were sold in that six-month period, which translates to a little over 1 percent of all car sales in California.  So, they're not exactly lining up around the block, even in a region that's known for its early adopters.  Of course, electric cars were always going to be a tough sell -

Whatley: I've been driving one for about half a year now... and I absolutely love it.  But they ARE expensive, and I'm sure that's a factor.

Lacter: - and that's even after a federal tax credit, but they also require drivers to learn about recharging the battery - sometimes in not-very-convenient places - and, from a design standpoint, most of them don't stand out (one of the automakers that's now out of business had been selling what was a basically plain vanilla Mitsubishi sedan).  Now, the one notable exception is the Tesla - so long as you have at least $90,000 to shell out, and are willing to wait a while to get your car delivered.  In affluent sections of L.A., this is truly the hot car - just 600 or so Teslas have been sold in Southern California during the first seven months of the year.  It's also received rave reviews from all the big automotive publications.

Whatley: And perhaps most surprising of all, Tesla has been making money…

Lacter: That's right, although the stock price is ridiculously overvalued at around $20 billion (that's one-third the market value of General Motors, even though Tesla cranks out all of 21,000 vehicles a year while GM sells almost 5 million).  People seem to love this car almost in spite of it being battery powered, which gets us back to the challenges in trying to sell these things.  Elon Musk, who founded the company (he's also behind SpaceX and he co-founded PayPal), has managed to win over customers because the car itself is so much fun to drive.  The other makers of electric cars - not so much.

Whatley: So, for the folks still on the fence... might it be better to wait until driverless cars become available?

Lacter: That's going to be quite a wait, although all the automakers are working on their versions of self-driving cars.  The Mercedes people just announced plans to launch in 2020 - the same year that Nissan wants to bring out its car - and Google, which has had self-driving cars tooling around California for several years, is looking at 2017.  So, what we're seeing is real, but the question is what sort of real it'll turn out to be.  Certainly, the possibilities are nothing short of revolutionary - you're looking at, potentially, faster commute times because cars will be able to travel closer to one other (reaction times would be faster than with a human behind the wheel); in addition, fewer accidents and injuries (also a function of reaction times).  But, how well the vehicles work once they get beyond the testing phase is anyone's guess.  California does allow self-driving prototypes car for testing purposes, but that's far different than full-scale authorization.

Whatley: What if something goes wrong?

Lacter: That's one of the big concerns - liability, but the real issue is public acceptance.  Already, surveys are finding reluctance to buying a driverless car, or even having them on the road.  That's not a huge surprise considering how novel the concept still is - and all it takes are a few mishaps to affirm the skeptics.  All of which points to a lengthy transition period - not unlike the early days of the passenger plane, when most folks couldn't imagine getting into a flying machine.  Eventually, they got used to them, but it took time.

Whatley: And finally, some thoughts on Cal Worthington?

Lacter: Certainly one of the great showmen in the annals of L.A. broadcasting - Cal Worthington wasn't the first auto dealer to discover the benefits of commercials, but he lasted longer than anyone else, selling more than a million cars (that according to his count), and grossing billions of dollars.  The Worthington ads are sometimes considered the first infomercials - that might be a stretch, but three factors really made it all come together: Southern California's appetite for the automobile, the ease by which Cal could deliver his schtick (remember when he was strapped to the wing of a biplane?), and the fact that there was so much available air time to sell in L.A.. Definitely a legend in his own time.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




struggling

AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models

Leading artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are facing "diminishing returns" from their costly efforts to build newer AI models, according to a new Bloomberg report. The stumbling blocks appear to be growing in size as Apple continues a phased rollout of its own AI features through Apple Intelligence.


OpenAI's latest model, known internally as Orion, has reportedly fallen short of the company's performance expectations, particularly in handling coding tasks. The model is said to be lacking the significant improvements over existing systems when compared to the gains GPT-4 made versus its predecessor.

Google is also reportedly facing similar obstacles with its upcoming Gemini software, while Anthropic has delayed the release of its anticipated Claude 3.5 Opus model. Industry experts who spoke to Bloomberg attributed the challenges to the increasing difficulty in finding "new, untapped sources of high-quality, human-made training data" and the enormous costs associated with developing and operating new models concurrently with existing ones.

Silicon Valley's belief that more computing power, data, and larger models will inevitably lead to better performance, and ultimately the holy grail – artificial general intelligence (AGI) – could be based on false assumptions, suggests the report. Consequently, companies are now exploring alternative approaches, including further post-training (incorporating human feedback to improve responses and refining the tone) and developing AI tools called agents that can perform targeted tasks, such as booking flights or sending emails on a user's behalf.

"The AGI bubble is bursting a little bit," said Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI startup Hugging Face. She told Bloomberg that "different training approaches" may be needed to make AI models work really well on a variety of tasks. Other experts who spoke to the outlet echoed Mitchell's sentiment.

How much impact these challenges will have on Apple's approach is unclear, though Apple Intelligence is more focused in comparison, and the company uses internal large language models (LLMs) grounded in privacy. Apple's AI services mainly operate on-device, while the company's Private Cloud Compute encrypted servers are only pinged for tasks requiring more advanced processing power.

Apple is integrating AI capabilities into existing products and services, including writing tools, Siri improvements, and image generation features, so it can't be said to be competing directly in the LLM space. However, Apple has agreed a partnership with OpenAI that allows Siri to optionally hand off more open-ended queries to ChatGPT. Apple has also reportedly held discussions with other LLM companies about similar outsourcing partnerships.

It's possible that the challenges faced by major AI companies pursuing breakthrough general-purpose AI models could ultimately validate Apple's more conservative strategy of developing specific AI features that enhance the user experience. In that sense, its privacy-first policy may not be the straitjacket it first seemed. Apple plans to expand Apple Intelligence features next month with the release of iOS 18.2 and then via further updates through 2025.


This article, "AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums




struggling

Revolut launches new study on legacy banks struggling to meet modern business needs

Revolut has launched a new survey which shows that two-thirds...




struggling

Still Struggling

It�s really difficult to post this, but I need words of encouragement from those of you that have been where I am today. I was alcohol free for about a month, and then started drinking again. I...



  • Newcomers to Recovery

struggling

Struggling to Get Motivated? Don't Ask for Advice--Give It

There's a lot of advice out there for the lazy and unmotivated: Take baby steps! Set a timer! Enlist an accountability partner! But what if the best way to tackle lack of motivation is not to give any sort of advice at all, but to ask for it instead?

complete article




struggling

Why Are Not Struggling Small Businesses Taking More PPP?

Millions of businesses across the country are struggling, yet many are not taking the latest version of government aid: a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. This is not happening because businesses are better off than they were last year; it is because the PPP still contains structural blockers that are stopping businesses from obtaining the aid they urgently need.

A recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank found that 30% of U.S. small businesses — totaling 9 million — fear they will not make it through 2021 without more government assistance. And yet, many are not applying for aid. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that seven weeks after round two of PPP began, nearly half the funds remain, and only 31% of 2020 PPP loans have been forgiven to date.




struggling

Liberia: Struggling Watanga Coach Vows to Win LFA First Division

[Liberian Investigator] Monrovia -- Watanga Coach Cooper Sannah has vowed to win the 2024-2025 Liberian First Division, despite his team's slow start to the season.




struggling

Nigeria: Why NFF Is Struggling to Get Top-Quality Manager for Super Eagles

[Premium Times] None of the last 10 Super Eagles' foreign managers left the post amicably, with many owed salaries, and the NFF was always accused of interfering in player selection.




struggling

Struggling in a One-Storey Universe

Fr. Stephen describes the spiritual warfare that Christians are to engage in as a battle within the heart—which is where we find the very depths of heaven.




struggling

Parenting: Struggling Toward Salvation

In honor of Parenting Month at Ancient Faith, Raising Saints is flipping it around: instead of talking about how adults can feed the faith of children, we're considering the impact this process has on the parents, and the many ways in which raising saints can transform one into a saint.




struggling

Struggling with Infertility

6 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 are clinically infertile. Infertility presents a heartbreaking struggle for many Orthodox couples who wonder whether it is God's will for them to be childless, or whether new fertility technologies (and which ones?) are appropriate. In this edition Kevin speaks with Orthodox theologian and ethicist Fr. John Breck about infertility and what options Orthodox Christian couples have to deal with it within an Orthodox context.




struggling

Are You Struggling to Pray?

"For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21) Sticking to our daily prayer rule can be tough! But why? We'll explore the simple reason prayer can feel crammed into our day rather than a natural part of it. And we'll offer a simple way to help you transform wasted moments into opportunities for connection with God. As a special bonus, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you focus on how you can act on what you'll learn. https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee150




struggling

Second Sunday of Great Lent: Struggling Yet?

St. Paul reminds us to concentrate on those things that will last for ever. Mark's Gospel today shows us that we have to work hard to come to the feet of Christ. God bless your Lenten struggle! Hebrews 1:10-2;3, Mark 2:1-12




struggling

Struggling through…





struggling

Stop Struggling to Share Estimating Files

For many cost estimators, the days of working with full-size plans and a single digitizer are a thing of the past. 




struggling

More than half of charities struggling to recruit volunteers, research finds

Six in 10 organisations face difficulties in volunteer recruitment and almost half have not seen an increase in numbers over the past 12 months




struggling

Retail payroll teams struggling with seasonal hiring, but too few are leveraging technology to alleviate the burden

With the holiday season fast approaching, retail payroll teams around the world are bracing for the strain of seasonal hiring. The influx of workers means added payroll runs, and yet too few are turning to technology to ease the pressure.




struggling

Unpaid Caregivers Were Already Struggling. It's Only Gotten Worse During The Pandemic

Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR

The pandemic has taken a massive toll on people's mental health. But a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms what many of us are seeing and feeling in our own lives: The impact has been particularly devastating for parents and unpaid caregivers of adults.

Two-thirds of survey respondents who identified as unpaid caregivers said they experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic, such as symptoms of anxiety or depression, or suicidal thoughts.

Only one-third of people with no caregiving responsibilities reported the same symptoms.

Of the more than 10,000 survey respondents, more than 40% identified as being unpaid caregivers.

"What is striking here is just how widespread unpaid caregiving responsibilities are in the population and how much of a burden and a toll these responsibilities" are having, says Shantha Rajaratnam, a co-author of the study and a psychologist at the Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health at Monash University in Australia.

The study also found that people who care for both children under 18 and adults — many of them part of the sandwich generation — are faring the worst, with 85% of this group experiencing adverse mental health symptoms.

"It's an extremely important study," says psychologist Dolores Gallagher-Thompson, professor emeritus at Stanford University who has researched family caregivers and their challenges.

The study is the first to document the problems caregivers have experienced during COVID-19, she notes, and underscores "the importance of paying attention to caregiver issues, caregiver mental health" and the need for education and resources to better support them.

The contrast between caregivers and others is stark

The study, part of ongoing research by The COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) Initiative, is based on surveys conducted in December 2020 and February-March 2021.

More than half of those who identified as caregivers said they had experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression, or of disorders like PTSD related to the stress and trauma of COVID-19.

A significant number of caregivers said they had contemplated suicide. Nearly 40% reported having passive suicidal thoughts, meaning "wishing that they had gone to bed and didn't wake up," says study co-author Mark Czeisler, a graduate student at Monash University and a research trainee at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

And more than 30% had seriously considered taking their own life — about five times the number of noncaregivers, the study found.

Across the board, mental health impacts have been more severe for people who care for both children and adults. Half of this group said it had seriously considered suicide in the past month.

The pandemic worsened the challenges caregivers face

Even before the pandemic, being an unpaid caregiver was stressful and associated with a higher risk of mental health issues, says Gallagher-Thompson. The COVID-19 pandemic has made things even harder.

For instance, the pandemic has taken away many formal and informal sources of support for caregivers.

That was the case for Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite. She's a Boston-based child psychiatrist and lives with her husband, her mother, her husband's father and two sons, who are 4 and 6.

Before the pandemic, her father-in-law, who has dementia, went to a day program for seniors with cognitive decline. Her mother, a survivor of breast and lung cancers, went to physical therapy twice a week, doctor appointments and met with friends.

When the pandemic hit, they lost those services and social support — at the same time Christian-Brathwaite and her husband began working from home while taking care of their sons and parents.

Life at home became much more complicated. Her sons developed behavioral problems with the transitions and stresses of the pandemic. Her mother struggled with chronic pain, and was hospitalized during the pandemic. And there were days when her father-in-law was confused, disoriented or aggressive.

"Many days I was walking around on edge waiting for something to happen because our entire setup was so very fragile and vulnerable," says Christian-Brathwaite. "It's been exhausting."

And her mental health has suffered. "I certainly was dealing with insomnia," she says. "I was short tempered. I was more irritable. I didn't have the same tolerance for things."

More support needed to help caregivers cope

The new study highlights the extent to which unpaid caregivers have struggled during the pandemic, says Gallagher-Thompson.

"There are some serious issues here that shouldn't be ignored," she says.

And yet caregivers are often ignored by the health system, which is set up to focus only on patients.

"Family members are rarely asked, 'How does this affect you? What is difficult? How can we help you? How can we support you in being able to carry out your role, your tasks, your responsibilities?'" Gallagher-Thompson says.

As the new study shows, support can make a big difference — respondents who could rely on others for help with caregiving had a lower incidence of mental health symptoms.

So it's important to educate and support caregivers. For example, physicians can start by screening their patients' caregivers for mental health symptoms and provide more resources to those who need it, says Gallagher-Thompson.

Christian-Brathwaite hopes the new study will help physicians recognize that family caregivers are just as important to consider while treating patients.

"We really need to take a step back and look at the village that's around them because our patients can't be successful without having the support from family," she says.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




struggling

North Carolina Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney Offers Free Consultations for Struggling Debtors

The Layton Law Firm in Charlotte is now offering free consultations to help individuals explore their Chapter 7 Bankruptcy options, providing a clear path to debt relief and a fresh financial start.




struggling

The Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act Proposes Aid to Struggling Multiemployer Pension Plans

House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) recently introduced legislation that seeks to provide aid to multiemployer pension plans (MEPs) facing insolvency. Entitled the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act (EPPRA), the bill would fund this aid directly from the U.S. Treasury.




struggling

Employers in Europe struggling to manage political discussions at work

Stephan Swinkels and Jan-Ove Becker discuss workplace issues that European employers are struggling with, including geopolitical events, political debates and LGBTQ+ rights. 

Human Resources Director Asia

View




struggling

Ask Annissa: Immediate Steps for Saving a Struggling Restoration Businesses

In this episode of Ask Annissa, Annissa Coy offers two practical ideas to a restoration business owner struggling to bring money in the door one year after opening. In his heartfelt plea for advice on quickly finding jobs, he asks, “If you were in my shoes, what would you do?”




struggling

Unions – Struggling to Remain Relevant

While unions have made some small victories as of late, they appear to be struggling to regain the membership levels they once held.




struggling

2018 Human Rights Report: Struggling to Breathe: the Systema...

2018 Human Rights Report: Struggling to Breathe: the Systematic Repression of Assyrians




struggling

Abcarian: Former California Rep. Devin Nunes once sued media companies. Now he's struggling to run one

The former California congressman, consummate Donald Trump lackey and Trump Media chief executive is being accused of mismanagement and cronyism.




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Billy Porter Struggling to Say Goodbye to 'Pose' Because the Show 'Healed' Him

The 'Kinky Boots' star describes the cancellation of his hit television show as 'bittersweet' because he found starring on the groundbreaking series very healing for him.




struggling

Many Georgia Residents Still Struggling To Get Tested

Copyright 2020 Georgia Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit Georgia Public Broadcasting .




struggling

Retail payroll teams struggling with seasonal hiring, but too few are leveraging technology to alleviate the burden

With the holiday season fast approaching, retail payroll teams around the world are bracing for the strain of seasonal hiring.




struggling

Indian Fund Teams Up With UK and Norway to Boost Struggling Power Grid with $300 Million Injection




struggling

Babies with microcephaly in Brazil are struggling to access care




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How 4 Communities Are Struggling to Prepare Kids for an Uncertain Future

Schools are slowly figuring out how to balance thinking globally with acting locally, and recognizing that some key skills are valuable no matter where students end up living.




struggling

Christie Asks N.J. High Court to Revoke Teacher Tenure in Struggling Districts

The Christie administration is arguing that the only way to improve education in the state's poorest districts is to ditch teacher job protections.




struggling

Why Don't Struggling K-12 Districts Just Dissolve?

Emotions remain raw as educators and residents in a rural Wisconsin district dig for solutions after being denied the option of dissolving.




struggling

How 4 Communities Are Struggling to Prepare Kids for an Uncertain Future

Schools are slowly figuring out how to balance thinking globally with acting locally, and recognizing that some key skills are valuable no matter where students end up living.




struggling

Harm reduction not enough to support those struggling with addictions, say front-line workers

An opioid replacement program in downtown Fredericton will continue to operate at the River Stone Recovery Centre until March 2025 after it got a one-year extension from Health Canada, despite increased opposition to the clinic.



  • News/Canada/New Brunswick

struggling

Oilers' struggling power play ignites in 7-3 win over Vancouver

The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for. After struggling through the first month of the NHL season, the Oilers trounced the Vancouver Canucks 7-3 on Saturday.



  • News/Canada/Edmonton

struggling

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | I'm struggling to make ends meet. What should I consider before cashing out my savings?

JustMoney.co.za marketing manager Shafeeka Anthony lists the implications to consider before withdrawing savings or investments.




struggling

OpenAI’s Next Flagship AI Model Reportedly Struggling to Outperform Older Models in Certain Tasks

OpenAI is rumoured to be working on the next generation of its flagship large language model (LLM), however, it might have hit a bottleneck. As per a report, the San Francisco-based AI firm is struggling to considerably upgrade the capabilities of its next AI model, internally codenamed Orion. The model is said to be outperforming older models when it comes to language-based tasks but is underwhelming in certain tasks such as coding.




struggling

Struggling With Periods? These Foods That Might Just Save The Day

Menstrual issues are quite common. But instead of relying solely on medication, certain foods and nutrients can help regulate your cycle and nourish you from within.




struggling

Malawi: Tithawire Kuti? Malawians Struggling to Make Ends Meet Amid Soaring Cooking Oil Prices

[Nyasa Times] Malawians across the country are feeling the weight of soaring cooking oil prices, with many struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise. Over the past month, the price of cooking oil has surged by an average of 12%, forcing consumers to dig deeper into their pockets to purchase essential household items.




struggling

Many Americans Struggling to Afford Health Care in Pandemic

Title: Many Americans Struggling to Afford Health Care in Pandemic
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2020 12:00:00 AM




struggling

Trump's plan for people struggling with mental illness, addiction and homelessness

Trump wants to return to the use of mental institutions and proposes tent cities to deal with people who are unhoused and have mental illness. Experts say it's beyond the scope of federal authority.




struggling

U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, and the Ad Council Launch New Public Service Ads to Reach Struggling Homeowners - Get mortgage help. This is why. MakingHomeAffordable.gov :60

Get mortgage help. This is why. MakingHomeAffordable.gov :60




struggling

Tax-News.com: Colombia Enacts Decree To Support Struggling Firms

The Colombian Government has issued Decree 939 of August 19, 2021, which enables the tax agency to revise an assessment for potentially viable companies that are facing insolvency, where doing so may save the company and jobs.




struggling

Model Bella Hadid Opens up About Struggling With Eating Disorders

Model Bella Hadid said she was stricken with eating disorders and chronic anxiety as a teen before she shot to fame as a model. In an interview with




struggling

Why entrepreneurs are struggling to create value?

In the last decade or so I have been closely watching how entrepreneurs like you tend to conduct their businesses. One thing that I have noted is that at any...





struggling

Struggling to stay connected

BSNL, market leader till about a decade ago, has been hit by inadequate investments, inefficiencies and a lack of strategic vision. Thomas K Thomas and Nandana James report




struggling

Japan’s parliament re-elects struggling leader Ishiba as Prime Minister

Japan’s parliament has reelected struggling Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after his governing coalition suffered its worst election loss in more than a decade