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Hawaiian Airlines is set to receive a fancy new premium lounge in Honolulu by the end of next year. In the meantime, the carrier has been quietly catering to premium flyers with a special, exclusive outpost at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).

And if you're one of the lucky travelers allowed to access the quiet space, it could be quite the pleasant surprise before a long flight over the Pacific.

I recently experienced the new space before boarding a New York City-bound flight from Honolulu. I was about to enter Hawaiian's existing (and crowded) Plumeria Lounge when an airline attendant told me to hold on for a moment, as I could access a different club.

Moments later, a Hawaiian team member came to escort me to a nearby, nondescript door that led to a special space separate from the main lounge.

Related: True aloha: What it's like flying Hawaiian Airlines' longest domestic flight in first class

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Related: Alaska Trifecta: Why I signed up for the premium Atmos Rewards Summit credit card

The Plumeria Loft

Behind that door was the whole other lounge that Hawaiian is currently calling the "Plumeria Loft."

It's an invitation-only space that once served as a private lounge called Apartment 1929 , which Hawaiian previously sold access to as part of a short-lived VIP service that included concierge services for passengers.

That paid service ended not long after Alaska Airlines purchased Hawaiian.

But this airport oasis is still here — and has a new life, of sorts.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY A spokesperson for Hawaiian told me the space has been reimagined as a premium lounge, "with access extended on a surprise‑and‑delight basis to guests traveling in international business class" (including my flight from HNL to JFK).

I was certainly surprised and delighted to access the space, which includes outdoor and indoor seating options and a host of food, drinks and amenities.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Here's what I found inside.

Amenities at the Plumeria Loft

Behind the entry door was a long hallway with two bathrooms. One had a full shower. Inside the restrooms were amenities that will be familiar to passengers in first or business class on Hawaiian, including lotion and lip balm from the airline's private skincare line Lōli'i.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Even though this lounge technically only has enough room for 24 guests at a time, the space wasn't at all crowded — even with a very full Airbus A330 set to depart that afternoon for New York.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY The best feature, by far, was the outdoor terrace. While the AvGeek in me would have loved a view of the runway, the space was full of greenery and offered a wonderful spot to sit outdoors and soak in a few more minutes of beautiful Hawaii weather before the long flight home.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Food and drink at Plumeria Loft

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Inside the Plumeria Loft, there is a full buffet serving Hawaiian and Asian specialties, such as sweet-fried chicken with stir-fry vegetables and Spam musubi with teriyaki. There were plenty of breads and sweets, too.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY I got to make my own noodles, too, which was fun.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Plus, there was an amenity sure to be familiar to Alaska Airlines frequent flyers: a pancake machine, which is a fixture in Alaska Lounges (though this one was adorned in more tropical colors).

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY A separate "snack station" section had a selection of potato chips (Maui Style, of course), pineapple gummies, a large selection of sodas and Aloha Maid juices. Check out the super cute Hawaiian shirt-style condiments.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY There's also a full bar, where friendly employees make espresso-style drinks or cocktails to order.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY I enjoyed a filling meal and a nice bit of relaxtion before heading to the gate.

Bottom line

If you can get into the Plumeria Loft at HNL, I highly recommend taking advantage of the access.

It's a major upgrade over the regular Hawaiian Airlines lounges anywhere else in Hawaii. Of course, once Alaska Air Group opens its new premium lounge at the airport, that will become the most enticing new option, though.

Hawaiian Airlines A330 in Honolulu. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY That new HNL club comes amid a major $600 million investment in Hawaiian's airport facilities over the next five years. Parent company Alaska Air Group is also planning a huge new high-end lounge in Seattle, accessible to high-level elite status members of Alaska and Hawaiian's joint Atmos Rewards loyalty program.

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Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do

The best credit cards to reach elite status

What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations

How your points and miles are shaping where airlines fly

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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For my money, the biggest advantage console gaming has over PC gaming these days is that you can still get your games on physical discs and cartridges. With PlayStation ending discs for new releases in 2028 , that advantage is disappearing – and for at least one PC gamer, physical games are making a comeback on Steam with an extremely cool array of custom, SSD-based cartridges.

"Got a couple of used 2.5" SSDs for cheap so I decided to make a Game Cartridge system," Jibril-sama explains on Reddit . "Games are actually on those SSDs with a script to auto navigate steam to the game's page. Auto-starting the game right away is also possible."

The clip below shows a bunch of these cartridges, each of which comes in a slick custom casing with game art. Jibril-sama plugs one into a dock, and the game instantly becomes available to play on Steam. This is entirely impractical for a lot of reasons – we'll get into those in a minute – but there's no denying it's cool as hell.

Steam Game Cartridges from r/pcmasterrace

The system shown in the clip runs Linux, and "all it needs is a systemd template to check for a script on the SSD and launch it. And a udev rule to trigger the system," as Jibril-sama tells our friends at Tom's Hardware . "So basically: Plug in SSD -> udev rule sees the event -> triggers the systemd daemon -> systemd daemon looks into the SSD and finds the script -> execute the script."

But how on earth are you getting ahold of that much storage media unless you're literally the owner of an AI datacenter? Well, Jibril-sama apparently isn't kidding about getting those SSDs cheap – apparently the 128GB drives were just €7 apiece, which given storage prices these days, feels like trading beans for gold.

I had a pleasure to help with work on a viral project which took over a part of the internet yesterday!Check it out here:makerworld.com/en/models/30...All pictures were done by me, including the ones in Tom's Hardware article.#steam #PC #cartridge #photography #retro #gaming #DIY

— @princessmidori.bsky.social ( @princessmidori.bsky.social.bsky.social ) 2026-07-16T21:57:40.114Z

It's actually pretty easy to do the practical part of this without all the cool cartridges, since you can just designate an external USB drive to house your Steam library, either entirely or in part. It's a nifty way to keep all your games installed if you're out of room on your system's main drive, but admittedly, it's not nearly as fun as plugging individual games in.

And either way, "you still don't really 'own' the games on Steam," as Jibril-sama readily admits . You'll always be beholden to Valve's online authentication to actually play your games, which means this isn't really a way to preserve your library the same way as traditional physical media. "But it's at least something fun and useful to me personally."

Discontinuing physical discs is one thing, but the PlayStation Portal already hints at Sony's worrying ambitions for an all-digital future.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Crypto.com Secures $400M Investment From Citadel Securities at $20B Valuation

Global market maker Citadel Securities has invested $400 million in crypto exchange Crypto.com, giving the platform a $20 billion valuation, according to a Thursday announcement.

Crypto.com, which has a number of digital asset products, said the cash would help the Singapore-based company expand its services to assets such as blockchain-based securities and derivatives.

The cash will help bridge the gap “between digital asset and traditional markets to create a more efficient 24/7 financial ecosystem,” a Thursday announcement read.

“The size of the opportunity in front of us is staggering, as crypto increasingly becomes the rails for finance,” Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek said in a statement.

“Having built the right regulatory and tech infrastructure over the last decade, Crypto.com is now perfectly positioned to capture this new wave of growth across all asset classes.”

“The convergence of traditional financial markets and digital asset infrastructure is an exciting evolution with the potential to further improve market efficiency,” added Jim Esposito, President of Citadel Securities.

Thrilled to announce our first institutional funding round with a $400 million strategic investment from Citadel Securities valuing https://t.co/pFc4Pz8PQj at $20 billion. An incredible milestone 10 years in on our journey and the beginning of a new phase of growth. Grateful to…

— Kris (@kris) July 16, 2026

Wall Street’s interest in tokenization

Esposito’s comment comes as Wall Street interest in blockchain technology piques — despite a market slump.

Back in February, BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, announced that it was working with decentralised exchange Uniswap to bring one of its funds on-chain.

Before that, in January, the New York Stock Exchange said it was building a platform allowing traders to buy and sell tokenised versions of US-listed equities and exchange-traded funds.

And most recently, the S&P 500 gave crypto platform Trade[XYZ] the green light to debut a new derivative contract on decentralized exchange Hyperliquid, allowing traders to gain leveraged exposure to the top index.

Citadel’s crypto interest

Miami, Florida-based Citadel, has for some time been interested in digital assets: Back in 2023, the company helped debut EDX Markets, a “first-of-its-kind exchange” giving investors “safer, faster and more efficient cryptocurrency trading.”

The exchange this year applied for a national trust bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, marking a step toward deeper integration between digital asset firms and the US banking system.

Citadel last year also pumped $200 million into crypto exchange Kraken to help accelerate the company’s strategy of bringing traditional financial products on-chain.

This post Crypto.com Secures $400M Investment From Citadel Securities at $20B Valuation first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo .

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Two defense technology companies filed lawsuits in federal court Tuesday after being excluded from the U.S. Navy’s newest unmanned surface vessel acquisition program .

Blue Water Autonomy and Saildrone allege they were kicked out of contention for the Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel Family of Systems program after the Navy failed to comply with its own requirements, among other errors.

Blue Water Autonomy said the decision was based on “overly restrictive evaluation criteria, a misreading of Blue Water’s proposal, and irrational conclusions that are inconsistent with the [Request for Prototype Proposals] and statutory requirements,” according to a complaint filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

A significant portion of both companies’ legal documents were redacted, and the specifics of what the Navy found lacking in each of their MUSV proposals was not immediately clear.

The Navy launched the MUSV program and opened solicitations for the new class of boat on March 26, after canceling the Modular Attack Surface Craft program.

The latter, announced on July 28, 2025, solicited the development of USVs that were capable of carrying large containerized payloads that could accommodate a similar weight to the Navy’s anti-ballistic missile system, the Mark 70 Mod 1 Payload Delivery System.

The MASC program was dedicated to a specific mission and specific ask from the fleet, whereas the MUSV program addresses a larger batch of requirements and mission types.

This was the reasoning behind the shuttering of the MASC program, according to Rebecca Gassler, portfolio acquisition executive for the U.S. Navy’s robotic and autonomous systems.

The MUSV solicitation, which ended on April 17, analyzed a company’s business plan, manufacturing plan, test plan and technical design.

Chosen companies and their MUSVs were then instructed to prepare for an on-water test with a surrogate vessel that would be conducted at the end of the fiscal year.

Blue Water Autonomy was initially chosen by the Navy to participate in the Modular Attack Surface Craft program before the MUSV program was rolled out.

The company was already underway in developing its Liberty vessel for the MASC program when it ended, having sunk money into production.

But before Blue Water Autonomy could participate in the on-water test with a surrogate vessel to demonstrate its viability as a partner for future MUSVs, they say they were barred from continuing in the MUSV program competition.

The Navy announced on June 1 that it had selected seven companies to participate in at-sea testing.

Those companies included Sea Machines, Leidos, Saronic Technologies, Galliano Marine Services, PacMar Technologies, Birdon and Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Blue Water Autonomy was not on the list.

US Navy selects companies for at-sea MUSV prototype testing

The company said the Navy’s decision to remove it from consideration for the MUSV request for prototype proposal was “capricious” and not “in accordance with statute or regulation.”

The complaint asked that the Navy halt the testing and funding for the MUSV program until “prejudicial errors” were remedied and Blue Water Autonomy was allowed reentry into the program in an effort to win the bid for the MUSV contract.

Saildrone was also excluded from participating in the program after initially taking part.

The company argues that it was more than deserving of being in the mix for the MUSV program, as it operates the world’s largest fleet of contractor-owned, contractor-operator USVs which have completed upwards of 2.5 million nautical miles since 2012, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

“Our fully compliant MUSV submission to the US Navy should have qualified for advancing to the next round, in which we would participate in sea trials and develop a prototype at our own cost,” a Saildrone spokesperson said. “We support the Navy’s mission and believe there has been a misunderstanding in the evaluation of our bid.”

Saildrone has deployed more than 70 vessels across the globe, including for the Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, the complaint said.

The company said it learned it was disqualified from continuing to compete in the MUSV program from a news article and was offered no explanation in an email follow-up with the U.S. government as to why it wasn’t given an opportunity to continue.

Eventually, Saildrone says they were provided a “fundamentally flawed evaluation.”

“Because advancement to the on-water test event imposes no material financial obligation on the government, reevaluating Saildrone’s proposal consistent with the solicitation and advancing Saildrone furthers the public interest at no meaningful cost,” the complaint said.

Saildrone asked to be reinstated in the competition and allowed to compete in the on-water test.

The fiscal 2027 Navy budget calls for the procurement 63 unmanned vessels .

President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains $2.1 billion for medium unmanned surface vessels, a Navy official told Military Times in March.

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Bugatti’s final catalog W16 has left the Molsheim line for good.

The last Mistral swaps its dancing elephant for a falcon head.

While series production of the W16 ends, it lives on in one-offs.

Bugatti has confirmed that the twenty-year run of its quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine is over, with the last W16 Mistral rolling out of the Molsheim Atelier. The Chiron-based roadster may have reached the end of its road, but we all know there’s a loophole for anyone still hungry for a car built around the retired sixteen.

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Last year, Bugatti set up Programme Solitaire, which lets its wealthiest clients commission one-off and few-off builds on existing platforms and powerplants, the W16 among them. Two of those commissions have already surfaced, the bespoke Brouillard and the Veyron FKP Hommage, each drawing on Molsheim’s remaining stock of W16 engines and Chiron monocoques.

More: The Last Real Bugatti Was Finished By A Chrysler Designer

As a homologated catalog model, though, the Mistral marks the real close of the platform, and that distinction matters to collectors who want the final chapter rather than a bespoke afterword.

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The W16 Mistral broke cover in August 2022 with production capped at 99 units. This last hypercar wears a two-tone livery blending Pearl and Sparkle shades, and its open two-seat cabin is trimmed in Magnolia and Grey Carbon Matt leather. A handful of one-of-a-kind touches came courtesy of the Bugatti Sur Mesure personalization program, the same shop responsible for the wilder commissions that defined the model’s run.

In place of the traditional Rembrandt-designed dancing elephant, a bespoke aluminum falcon head perches atop the gear selector, a nod to the owner’s Middle Eastern heritage. The same falcon reappears as a hand-embroidered sketch stretched in Anthracite across the door panels, while the armrest plate holds a frozen crystal glass sculpture made with French glassmaker Lalique.

More: When You’re That Rich, You Can Afford To Paint The World’s Fastest Convertible Like A Latte

Another cool detail is Ettore Bugatti’s signature on the engine cover, also present on the headrest stitching and the machined aluminum door sills. Finally, a special plate displaying the car’s silhouette and the words “The last of its kind” is nested the cockpit.

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This final example joins a fiercely exclusive line of personalized Sur Mesure builds that have come out of Molsheim across the Mistral’s production run. Among the most notable are the Caroline commissioned by a father for his daughter , the dragonfly-themed Fly Bug, the porcelain-inspired Blanc Éterne and plenty of others.

More: The Shifter In This Bugatti Mistral Probably Costs More Than Your Car

Another standout is the one-off World Record Car that hit a top speed of 453.91 km/h (282 mph) at Papenburg with racing driver Andy Wallace behind the wheel. This one found its way into a private collection alongside other World Record Bugattis and is believed to be the priciest Mistral ever at €14 million ($16 million), set against the roadster’s €5 million ($5.7 million) starting price.

Under the skin, the ultimate evolution of Bugatti’s famous 8.0-liter W16 produces 1,578 hp (1,177 kW / 1,600 PS) and 1,600 Nm (1,180 lb-ft) of torque, matching the track-only Bolide .

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More: Bugatti’s Top Golf Set Costs $72,000, More Than A New Corvette

The end of Mistral production lands at a symbolic moment for Bugatti, coming just days after the brand opened its factory expansion, dubbed ‘La Manufacture.’ That building becomes the new home for production of the Tourbillon and future Bugatti hypercars.

Photos Bugatti