Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT O’BRIEN

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Robots have long been seen as a bad bet for Silicon Valley investors — too complicated, capital-intensive and “boring, honestly,” says venture capitalist Modar Alaoui.

But the commercial boom in artificial intelligence has lit a spark under long-simmering visions to build humanoid robots that can move their mechanical bodies like humans and do things that people do.

Alaoui, founder of the Humanoids Summit, gathered more than 2,000 people this week, including top robotics engineers from Disney, Google and dozens of startups, to showcase their technology and debate what it will take to accelerate a nascent industry.

Alaoui says many researchers now believe humanoids or some other kind of physical embodiment of AI are “going to become the norm.”

“The question is really just how long it will take,” he said.

Disney’s contribution to the field, a walking robotic version of “Frozen” character Olaf, will be roaming on its own through Disneyland theme parks in Hong Kong and Paris early next year. Entertaining and highly complex robots that resemble a human — or a snowman — are already here, but the timeline for “general purpose” robots that are a productive member of a workplace or household is farther away. read more

In a recent monthly newsletter from IRA expert Ed Slott, a discussion of loan options from retirement accounts referenced a recent study by Fidelity, which found that since 2021 the percentage of employees who had taken such loans climbed from 6.5% to 9.2%.

You are allowed to take a loan from 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans, if the rules of the plan permit. You are not allowed to take loans from IRAs, including SEP, and SIMPLE accounts.

If you take such a loan, you repay the principal and interest over a set term, typically five years, and must repay it in full if you leave employment associated with the plan.

Is it a good idea to borrow from your retirement plan? In my opinion, as long as you can repay the loans on time before you leave your current employer, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Personally, when I was working full time, my employer, a major bank, offered the 401(k) option to its employees. Because two of my children were attending college, I found that the availability of loan options from my 401(k) account was reasonable compared to other options, and I was never sorry that I used the available loan option. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — More drops for superstars caught up in Wall Street’s artificial-intelligence frenzy are knocking the U.S. stock market off its record highs on Friday.

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The S&P 500 fell 0.9% from its all-time high set the day before and was heading toward its worst day in three weeks. The weakness for tech stocks yanked the Nasdaq composite down by a market-leading 1.4%, as of 12:48 p.m. Eastern time, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back 153 points, or 0.3%, after setting its own record the day before. read more

By Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News

The rise in late auto loan payments is a symptom of an increasingly unaffordable vehicle market, experts say. Households with the lowest incomes are suffering the most.

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Auto loan debt is not yet at a crisis point, according to analysts. But economists are closely following late payments as a potential indicator of wider economic stress and trouble for the U.S. auto industry, which has become increasingly reliant on high-price, high-profit pickups and SUVs.

According to a Nov. 24 note from the Federal Reserve Bank, “auto loan debt increased to levels not observed since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), raising concerns about the health of household balance sheets.” read more

Walt Disney World has confirmed the last day for the Aerosmith version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. Its final bow will be March 1.

The thrill ride, which debuted in 1999, will be getting a Muppet makeover and a tweaked name: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. Disney had previously announced that park visitors will be able to board that version in summer 2026.

The changeover was first announced in November, and it was part of a ripple effect of attractions at Hollywood Studios. The park is adding a land (and suspended roller coaster) themed to “Monsters, Inc.” in the area that has been home to the long-running MuppetVision 3-D attraction. Construction has started on the “Monsters” area, although no completion date has been announced.

The revised Rock ‘n’ Roller, Disney says, will include the Electric Mayhem characters, including Animal and Dr. Teeth as well as Scooter’s uncle J.P. Grosse, who now owns G-Force records. A ride poster from Disney indicates special guests Miss Piggy, Kermit and Gonzo, while a rendering of the preshow studio in the queue shows penguins — animals seen in MuppetVision — at work. read more