Bad news, everyone. Conflipper, ROM cooker and bearer for all things about HTC, has decided to retire from the community, though we think for understandable reasons.

For the last few weeks, he's been going back and forth with HTC over his controversial website 'Shipped ROMS'--they claimed infringement, he claimed that he was just re-hosting what is already in the public domain.

Conflipper has been a staple around the Windows Mobile community for the last few years and has provided many sites (including our own) with lots of 'inside' information on the workings of Microsoft and specifically HTC. He never sought famed, preferred to remain anonymous and was always just flat out reliable.

While he chooses to go on hiatus from the scene, we wouldn't be surprised if he returns at some point, providing some great Windows Phone 7 information--but like in the past, you'll rarely know that it's actually coming from him. A loss for the community, we totally know how feels about getting to close to the industry and we know whatever he chooses to focus on next, he'll end up all right.

Read his full statement, replete with his entire fascinating history, right here. Good luck CF!