ROMhacking.net, a longtime stalwart of the online classic gaming world mostly turned the lights off on Saturday. Nightcrawler, who created and runs ROMhacking, announced that the site, which has hosted community-made alterations for classic games, has stopped taking submissions and will only post news going forward.

Nightcrawler said the site’s collection can be found on The Internet Archive (where, incredibly, all 20 years’ worth of hacks and other files are mostly concentrated in a single 11.7GB zip file.) He added that the forum will stay up and downloadables will remain available for now; otherwise, the site is in read-only mode.

Nightcrawler blamed the wind-down of the site on “24/7 use, endless queues, and an endless inbox,” as well as “legal burdens.” He also accused members of a group who’d offered to take over administering the site of doxxing him and of plotting to remove him from the site. One member of the group disputed his accusations in a series of posts on X.

Someday, very soon, your daily commute may transform from a tedious crawl through traffic to a flight above it all. It’s the reality Pegasus Aerospace is bringing to life with their innovative Pegasus E-Class.

Unlike many competitors focusing solely on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, Pegasus has taken a hybrid approach that combines the best of both worlds. 

This clever design allows for an impressive 300-mile range and up to three hours of flight time before needing to refuel. Also, incredibly, no runway is required. 

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Speed and efficiency

Let’s talk speed. On the road, the E-Class can hit over 75 miles per hour on pure electric power. In the air, it can reach speeds of up to about 99 mph. Imagine turning a 60-minute car trip into a 15-minute door-to-door flying adventure.

Hybrid flying car. (Pegasus Aerospace)

THIS CRAZY TWO-IN-ONE ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-SET AIRCRAFT HIDDEN INSIDE

From garage to sky

Now, you might be wondering, “Can I really park this thing in my garage?” The answer is yes. The Pegasus E-Class is designed to be a true flying car, seamlessly transitioning between road and air travel. With a recreational helicopter pilot’s license and a regular driver’s license, you could potentially park it at home, drive to the nearest vertiport and take off for your destination. For those who have a large enough private area, they could potentially take off and land within that space. 

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Hybrid flying car. (Pegasus Aerospace)

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Practical refueling solution

But here’s the interesting part — when you do need to refuel, you don’t need to find a specialized charging station or aircraft fuel depot. Just pull into your local gas station and fill up with regular high-octane gasoline. It’s this kind of practical thinking that sets Pegasus apart.

Hybrid flying car. (Pegasus Aerospace)

SUPER SLICK ELECTRIC BEAST TAKES YOU FROM CITY STREETS TO MOUNTAIN PEAKS

Regulatory progress

One of the most exciting aspects of Pegasus is that this isn’t just a concept or a prototype. The E-Class has already obtained airworthiness registration with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). They’re now working on leveraging this to fast-track Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration in the U.S.

Hybrid flying car. (Pegasus Aerospace)

Hurdles to overcome

There are still hurdles to overcome. Regulatory approval in more countries, infrastructure development for vertiports and public acceptance of flying cars are all challenges that lie ahead. Safety will be paramount, just like any other company, and Pegasus will need to demonstrate consistently reliable performance to gain widespread trust.

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The potential of Pegasus is enormous

Despite these challenges, the potential is enormous. If Pegasus can deliver on their promises, we could be looking at a fundamental shift in how we think about travel, especially for short to medium distances. The dream of avoiding traffic jams by simply taking to the skies could become a reality.

As Pegasus aims to showcase the E-Class at CES in January 2025 and any other U.S. exhibitions, the world will be watching. If successful, Pegasus could indeed make flying cars not just a vision of the future, but a practical reality of the present.

Hybrid flying car. (Pegasus Aerospace)

Beyond personal transportation

But Pegasus isn’t just about personal transportation. They’ve thought big, offering configurations ranging from single-seaters to a 4-seater air taxi. They’re eyeing applications in civilian use, medical services, logistics and even law enforcement.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Pegasus Aerospace is bringing the future of transportation to us right now. Their hybrid approach addresses many of the challenges facing pure electric flying vehicles, offering greater range and easier refueling. The ability to operate as both a car and an aircraft provides flexibility that could revolutionize personal and commercial transportation.

If flying cars like the Pegasus E-Class became widely available, would you feel comfortable using one for your daily commute or travel? What concerns you most about this technology? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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EcoFlow’s new Power Hat must be the dorkiest piece of headgear I’ve ever heard of — and I think I love it? It’s a wide-brimmed floppy-ish sun hat full of solar cells that you can charge your phone with. EcoFlow says it can charge a 4,000mAh smartphone to capacity “in as fast as 3–4 hours.” Sounds ideal for casually scrolling feeds at a campsite or surviving in a sun-blasted, Mad Maxian desert wasteland.

According to EcoFlow’s specs, the $129 Power Hat’s solar cells are made from a thin, flexible material called passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) monocrystalline silicon. It offers roughly 12-watt charging via the USB-A and USB-C connectors on the underside of the brim. The whole thing weighs 370 grams.

Oh, and the Power Hat is IP65 rated, meaning it’s dust-proof and can withstand water jets from any direction (although I question whether that holds true if you’re pointing a super soaker at the USB ports). Here’s a promotional video, complete with an inoffensive, vaguely Kings of Leon-sounding soundtrack, which is perfect floppy hat music if my past music festival experience is any indication:

The hat comes in two size ranges. The smaller one is adjustable between 56–58cm (22–22.8 inches) while the larger size is 59–61cm (23.2–24 inches). The Power Hat will be available in preorder until August 31st and EcoFlow says it expects to start shipping them out in mid-September.