Latest news with #Vista
The Drive
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Mercedes-AMG Might Be Having a Windows Vista Moment With These Four-Cylinder Hybrids
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Multi-billion-dollar companies get so caught up in innovation that they focus more on what they could do than what they should do. Sure, the products are usually impressive from a technological standpoint, but oftentimes, they're way worse to use. One example that comes to mind is Windows Vista—the fresh-looking operating system from 2007 that people absolutely hated to work with. Another more recent example is the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid Mercedes-AMG models that used to run twin-turbo V8s. Like Windows Vista, Mercedes-AMG's small-displacement PHEVs are great in theory. Microsoft marketed better security and enhanced search functionality with its OS; meanwhile, Mercedes bragged about its 671 horsepower with electric turbo anti-lag and supercar-like zero-to-60 times. But just as customers grew massively frustrated with Vista and its inability to run on older computers without crashing, drivers decided that all that power from an electrified AMG isn't any good if you can't hear it. Vista's predecessor, Windows XP, was admittedly showing its age by the time the new version came along, but like the old-fashioned V8, it worked—and on the rare occasion that it didn't, its users knew how to identify, troubleshoot, and eliminate those shortcomings. See the resemblance? Microsoft / Mercedes-AMG Mercedes acknowledges this now as it's reportedly moving away from the four-cylinders to build more inline-sixes and V8s. Autocar cites a source at Mercedes as saying, 'Technically, the four-cylinder is one of the most advanced drivetrains available in a production car. It's also right up there on performance. But despite this, it failed to resonate with our traditional customers. We've recognized that.' This would also mean that, like Vista, the four-cylinder AMG C63 and GLC63 didn't last long. If you'll remember, those only launched three years ago, in 2022. That's even shorter than Vista, which received mainstream support for five years, through 2012. Still, Microsoft's faux pas was far more widespread. Estimates claim some 330 million people were tortured by Vista, while far fewer than 100,000 ever took a chance on the AMGs that whir like a vacuum cleaner. 'We jumped far ahead with this technology, but we should have explained the technology more to our salespeople and customers,' explained AMG boss Michael Schiebe to Car Magazine in April. 'We will continue to do that and further improve. There is a German saying, 'You never have a second chance at a first impression.' Maybe we missed out on the first impression, but if you have the opportunity, I'm sure you will be convinced of the technology.' The list of Vista criticisms is longer, too—enough to warrant not just a Wikipedia tab but an entire page. Everybody's beef with the electrified four-cylinders is pretty much the same: They sound bad. That's a pretty big problem considering the customers they're marketed to. Mercedes was so sure people wouldn't mind the switch from twin-turbo V8s to plug-in hybrid four-cylinders, and really, that's as crazy as it seems. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: OIA expands private equity footprint with 13 new investments in 2024
MUSCAT: Oman Investment Authority (OIA) added 13 new investment funds to its private equity and venture capital portfolio in 2024, significantly expanding its exposure to high-growth global sectors aligned with the Sultanate of Oman's long-term development priorities. The investments—spanning digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, fintech, clean energy, and other strategically vital industries—were executed through the Future Generations Fund (FGF), OIA's international investment arm tasked with safeguarding and growing wealth for future generations. During the year, FGF strategically invested in 13 funds headquartered in key international financial centers across the Gulf, the wider MENA region, and beyond. Each fund was selected for its alignment with Oman's economic diversification goals and its potential to deliver sustainable, long-term returns. Among the most notable additions is Hahn & Company, a fund that acquires and develops companies across advanced industries, logistics, energy, chemicals, and commercial services. Another major investment, eWTP, focuses on growth opportunities in digital infrastructure, advanced industrial applications, energy transition technologies, and food security—sectors considered crucial to future resilience. Technology-related investments featured prominently in the 2024 portfolio. Vista specializes in acquiring tech-enabled companies across healthcare, marketing, media, financial services, and retail. Industry Ventures complements this focus by backing venture capital firms active in AI, fintech, e-commerce, and health tech, while Flagship Pioneering targets innovation in health technology, agri-tech, and renewable energy solutions. FGF also invested in IDG Industrial, which supports growth-stage firms in cleantech, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. ICG Strategic Equity Fund focuses on secondary investments, partnering with experienced fund managers to scale companies across diverse sectors. In the infrastructure and digital services space, Digital Alpha stands out with its focus on companies advancing smart city technologies, wireless communications, IoT networks, and multi-cloud services. Frazier Healthcare Partners brings specialized expertise in healthcare IT, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare management. In the financial technology space, FTV Capital targets high-growth firms, with a complementary investment in FTV Ascend, which focuses on smaller-cap players in the same sectors. Additional portfolio entries include Atlas Holdings, known for acquiring and restructuring underperforming industrial businesses, and the Valor Atreides AI Fund, which invests in cutting-edge AI technologies and related infrastructure. The portfolio is rounded out by Creador, a growth-focused fund targeting consumer products, financial services, and healthcare in fast-developing markets. As part of its broader Direct Investments strategy in 2024, OIA also invested in xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by American entrepreneur Elon Musk. xAI is behind Grok, an AI-driven conversational platform. The Series B financing round will fund the development of a 100 MW U.S.-based data center to train Grok's third-generation large language model. 'As a financial investor, FGF partners with other financial and strategic investors to pursue viable direct, listed, and fund-based opportunities globally, while also seeking global strategic partnerships to localize technologies and advance Oman's economy,' the Fund explained on its website. To date, FGF has invested in more than 185 funds across private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, and real estate. In addition, it holds over 60 direct investments in a wide range of sectors, along with allocations in global equities, bonds, treasury bills, and deposits. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs
Eleven dogs died while in the care of a California dog trainer and prosecutors say he and his girlfriend tried to destroy the evidence by dropping off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums. Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Tingfeng Liu, of Vista, who is dating Sit, pleaded not guilty Monday to accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, police said. Sit, 53, and Liu, 23, are both are in custody on $550,000 bail each. Prosecutors said the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested on Thursday. Each has been assigned a public defender, prosecutors said. A pet owner contacted police last week saying their dog trainer told them their dog had died and had been cremated, police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said. Investigators since have determined that 11 dogs died and that nine of them died on or around Wednesday, police said. Aimee Gutierrez said in a social media post that her family several weeks earlier had adopted a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois and named her Saint. She said the person they trusted to help train Saint informed her by text that Saint had died in her sleep. 'We were not given details,' Gutierrez said. We were not given the change to say goodbye. We later learned that she had been cremated without our consent or knowledge." Another dog was also cremated, police said. The Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit recovered the bodies of multiple dogs that prosecutors say had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu at crematoriums. Necropsies performed on three of the dogs show two of the dogs died from heat stroke and the third dog died from blunt force trauma, prosecutors said. Necropsies are pending on the remaining six animals. All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums last Wednesday. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 13. Sit worked throughout Southern California under different company names, including Happy K9 Academy, police said. A website with that company name lists Tony Sit as the author of its blog posts. It says their services include boarding and training but doesn't give a boarding facility address or other specific information. An address listed on the website is that of a public park in Tustin, California. The police investigation is ongoing, Oldoerp said.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Associated Press
California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs
Eleven dogs died while in the care of a California dog trainer and prosecutors say he and his girlfriend tried to destroy the evidence by dropping off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums. Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Tingfeng Liu, of Vista, who is dating Sit, pleaded not guilty Monday to accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, police said. Sit, 53, and Liu, 23, are both are in custody on $550,000 bail each. Prosecutors said the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested on Thursday. Each has been assigned a public defender, prosecutors said. A pet owner contacted police last week saying their dog trainer told them their dog had died and had been cremated, police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said. Investigators since have determined that 11 dogs died and that nine of them died on or around Wednesday, police said. Aimee Gutierrez said in a social media post that her family several weeks earlier had adopted a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois and named her Saint. She said the person they trusted to help train Saint informed her by text that Saint had died in her sleep. 'We were not given details,' Gutierrez said. We were not given the change to say goodbye. We later learned that she had been cremated without our consent or knowledge.' Another dog was also cremated, police said. The Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit recovered the bodies of multiple dogs that prosecutors say had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu at crematoriums. Necropsies performed on three of the dogs show two of the dogs died from heat stroke and the third dog died from blunt force trauma, police said. Necropsies are pending on the remaining six animals. All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums last Wednesday. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 13. Sit worked throughout Southern California under different company names, including Happy K9 Academy, police said. A website with that company name lists Tony Sit as the author of its blog posts. It says their services include boarding and training but doesn't give a boarding facility address or other specific information. An address listed on the website is that of a public park in Tustin, California. The police investigation is ongoing, Oldoerp said.
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Travel + Leisure
5 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
10 Best Aviation Museums in the U.S.
If you're someone who's fascinated by all things aviation—commercial planes, space travel, aerodynamics—there are more than a handful of places you can go to learn more in person. 'Aviation museums preserve the stories and breakthroughs that shaped flight. For many of us in the aviation world, they're a lasting source of inspiration,' Matteo Atti, chief marketing officer at Vista, a private aviation group, tells Travel + Leisure . And some of the very best aviation museums are located right here in the U.S. Together with Atti and Abigail Erickson-Torres, the president and CEO of Frontiers of Flight Museum, we put together a list of the top ones to visit, from the renowned Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., to the Space Center Houston. American Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighter of 1942 in Hangar 37 of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum of Hawaii. Aviation enthusiasts and history buffs alike should visit the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, located on Ford Island, an active military base (visitors are shuttled from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center) on Oahu. Along with the USS Arizona Memorial, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and Battleship Missouri Memorial, the aviation museum shares the story of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack and honors those who fought in World War II. The museum spans two WWII-era hangars, which contain exhibits, various artifacts, and more than 50 aircraft. 'Their exhibits and planes are exquisite, and the stories, thoughtfully told, are so unique to the USA; they do it so well,' says Erickson-Torres. Antique aircraft inside The Museum of Flight. You'll need to carve out plenty of time—at least three hours—to properly explore Seattle's Museum of Flight. There's a lot to see, and you don't want to miss any of the highlights. There are more than 175 aircraft—ranging from the 1929 Aeronca C-2 and the 1963 Boeing 727 to the SAM 970, which served as Air Force One and carried Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, and Johnson—along with thousands of artifacts and photographs. In June 2025, the museum will also open up a brand-new exhibit. "The MiG-21 Project," created by South African artist Ralph Ziman, showcases a decommissioned Cold War-era MiG-21 fighter jet, now an art piece covered in millions of colorful glass beads. Boeing exhibit in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Victoria Chamberlain/Travel + Leisure Both Erickson-Torres and Atti are fans of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, with the former referencing the 'incredible artifacts' and 'fantastic' education programs. 'The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum stands out for its remarkable collection of iconic aircraft,' says Atti, who specifically recommends checking out the "Nation of Speed" exhibit. The exhibit is designed to demonstrate the country's desire 'to become the fastest on land, sea, air, and space,' and it includes the Sharp DR 90 Nemesis, the famed air racing champion. 'This unique connection underscores the enduring influence of aviation far beyond the cockpit,' he adds. A line of aircraft on display at the Intrepid Museum. Located at Pier 86 in New York City right along the Hudson River, the Intrepid Museum is the perfect addition to any Manhattan itinerary. Its collection is impressive—you can see the supersonic British Airways Concorde Alpha Delta G-BOAD up close—and a series of rotating exhibits keeps it fresh and exciting. Right now, the museum is hosting an exhibit showcasing the remains of an F4U-1D Corsair that was shot down near Japan's island of Kyushu in 1945. No matter when you visit, though, you'll be able to check out a fully restored World War II FG-1D Corsair fighter bomber and the Enterprise, NASA's prototype orbiter. An exhibit inside the Houston Space Center. Robyn Correll/Travel + Leisure While some people may only associate commercial or private planes with aviation, the subject can also encompass space travel. And if you're fascinated by spacefaring, there's one place to go: the Space Center Houston, which also serves as the visitor center of the NASA Johnson Space Center. 'It's a totally unique experience, and they are on the cutting edge of museum design and visitor attractions,' says Erickson-Torres. There are over 400 space artifacts—don't miss the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket or the Apollo 13 Lithium Hydroxide Canister Prototype—as well as engaging exhibits and experiences. The museum also has the world's most comprehensive collection of astronaut apparel and spacesuits, including the spacesuit Pete Conrad wore on the moon during the Apollo 12 mission. An airplay motor exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. National Museum of the United States Air Force 'Given Vista America's operations based near Columbus, Ohio, the nearby National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton provides us with a powerful reminder of what's possible when we work as a team,' says Atti. Admission is free, and visitors can explore the museum's collection of more than 350 vehicles and missiles plus thousands of artifacts. Founded in 1923, the museum just celebrated its 102nd anniversary and is regularly cited as the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. While visiting, you can journey through aviation history, starting in the Early Years Gallery (home to a Wright brothers exhibit) and making your way to the Space Gallery, where you'll find the Apollo 15 command module. An exhibit on the Apollo 9 space expedition. San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego is a city with dozens of museums, so it's no surprise that there's one dedicated to aviation. This isn't just any run-of-the-mill aviation museum, though. The San Diego Air & Space Museum thoroughly covers the history of aviation—starting with a model of the Montgolfier brothers' 1783 hot air balloon (the first record of a manned vehicle bringing humans above Earth) and running through the military aircraft used in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam and into Space Age technology. There are also several simulators for visitors to try, as well as a 3D/4D theater, now showing "Legend of Apollo" and "Delta Zero." Propellers of an older air craft. You'll find the Frontiers of Flight Museum in a 100,000-square-foot complex at Dallas Love Field, just northwest of Dallas. The museum has over 35,000 different artifacts and 40 air and space vehicles for visitors to see. Its permanent exhibits include 'Dreamers and Early Flyers,' where you can check out the first private pilot's license issued in the U.S., and 'Space Flight,' which has artifacts from the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. SR-71 Blackbird on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. If you ever find yourself in McMinnville, Oregon, southwest of Portland, your first point of interest should be the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. It's known for the Spruce Goose, the world's largest wooden airplane—an aircraft that, manned by Howard Hughes in 1947, flew once, for just 30 seconds. Other interesting exhibits at the museum include the Titan II SLV (the main vehicle in NASA's Gemini program) and the SR-71 Blackbird, which flew at three times the speed of sound, or just over 2,000 miles per hour. Aircraft on exhibit at Pima Air & Space Museum. The Pima Air & Space Museum has been around for nearly five decades—it first opened in 1976—and it continues to draw in visitors who are curious about all things aviation. Spanning 80 acres of both indoor and outdoor space, the museum has six indoor hangars and 425 aircraft on display. One of those aircraft is the Bede BD-5, the world's smallest jet aircraft developed in the 1970s. There's also an aerospace gallery, where visitors can learn more about the Space Race and discover a collection of unmanned aerial vehicles (like the General Atomics MQ-1B Predator and the Radioplane OQ-3).
