We recently looked at Tiny vinyl, a new miniature vinyl single format developed through a collaboration between a toy industry veteran and the world’s largest vinyl record manufacturer. The 4-inch singles are pressed in a process nearly identical to standard 12-inch LPs or 7-inch singles, except everything is smaller. They have a standard-size spindle hole and play at 33⅓ RPM, and they hold up to four minutes of music per side.
Several smaller bands, like The Band Loula and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and some industry veterans like Blake Shelton and Melissa Etheridge, have already experimented with the format. But Tiny Vinyl partnered with US retail giant Target for its big coming-out party this fall, with 44 exclusive titles launching throughout the end of this year.
Tiny Vinyl supplied a few promotional copies of releases from former America’s Got Talent finalist Grace VanderWaal, The Band Loula, country pop stars Florida Georgia Line, and jazz legends the Vince Guaraldi Trio so I could get a first-hand look at how the records actually play. I tested these titles as well as several others I picked up at retail, playing them on an Audio Technica LP-120 direct drive manual turntable connected to a Yamaha S-301 integrated amplifier and playing through a pair of vintage Klipsch kg4 speakers.
Developer Michael Ayles has unleashed a version of DOOM that runs within a PCB design application, of all places. KiDOOM is a portmanteau of KiCad, the free and open source electronic design automation (EDA) software suite, and DOOM, the influential first-person shooter (FPS) that pioneered and shaped the genre for eternity. In this release, the game world is rendered fast and fluid in KiCAD’s PCB editing viewport. However, the dev makes it clear KiDOOM isn’t DOOM running in KiCAD; the EDA app is actually the display renderer, the game engine is a separate process.
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“1982 vector arcade game meets 1993 FPS meets 2025 PCB editor”(Image credit: Michael Ayles )
“1982 vector arcade game meets 1993 FPS meets 2025 PCB editor”(Image credit: Michael Ayles )
The seminal 1993 FPS has looked better, and also a lot worse, but this version, using the KiCad renderer, certainly has a retro style we appreciate. To our eyes, the visuals are reminiscent of the Atari Battlezone wireframe arcade games or the Vectrex era. They could have probably been more firmly cemented in this era, but for Ayles deciding to use preset 64-pin packages for demons, and humble 3-pin parts for ammo clips. But that’s fun too, especially for electronics enthusiasts.
In addition to marveling over this combination of EDA, CAD, and DOOM, our hearts are warmed by the dev’s assertion that “every frame creates a legitimate PCB design that could theoretically be fabricated.”
So, instead of a screenshot to recall a particularly frantic and fun DOOM escapade, you could even fab a unique commemorative PCB. Don’t expect to do anything with the PCB, other than hang it on your wall or use it as a table mat, though.
Ayles explains that KiDOOM provides triple mode rendering for different use-cases, with three parallel visualizations, and every frame traverses a six-stage pipeline. Luckily, for fluidity, the dev noticed that “DOOM’s engine already calculates visible geometry as vectors. PCB traces ARE vectors.” Thus, for speed and efficiency, “Instead of 64,000 pixels, we need 100-300 line segments.”
In gameplay, between the neon wireframe walls, you will see demons and zombies rendered as QFP-64 packages, barrels, dead bodies, and torches as SOIC-8 packages, and collectables like health packs, ammo, and keycards using SOT-3 components.
KiDOOM performance
Several key optimizations were done in the pipeline to enable pretty smooth gameplay on a modern computer. There are also four important KiCad settings that need to be tweaked by those wanting to give KiDOOM a spin – otherwise, you will have an experience that is “2-5x worse.” Those interested are encouraged to try KiDOOM for themselves, and Ayles provides a walkthrough of preparatory steps to get up and running.
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As for performance, it looks like our intrepid dev had access to an M1 MacBook Pro, which could deliver 15-25fps in this game port. An “i7 + RTX 3050 Ti” could push the frame rate to between 18-28fps. We aren’t sure whether throwing more CPU and GPU power at KiDOOM will pay off in a linear fashion, or other bottlenecks will make themselves known. But if you try it on an RTX 5090 or RX 9070 XT, or one of the other best GPUs for gaming in 2025, please let us know!
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom’s Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t one of the best mini PC deals I’ve seen this Black Friday. The GMKtec M7 just dropped 31% to $437, which is a great price point considering its fantastic configuration.
The M7 Pro is an absolute tiny powerhouse. It runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H processor, alongside 32GB DDR5 RAM, which pretty much means it’s a rocket that will quickly and efficiently help you handle all the tasks you need done. Throw in the 2TB SSD, and you also have an insane amount of storage space.
Now, mini PCs aren’t necessarily equipped for gaming as they have rudimentary graphics cards on board, which enable you to maybe play some basic games. But this GMKtec M7 has an Oculink port, which enables you to hook up an eGPU if you wanted to, thus making it possible to properly use it for gaming.
Another really cool thing about getting this mini PC is that the GMKtec M7 supports up to four displays via the HDMI, DP, and the two USB4 ports, which is a dream setup for multitaskers.
Mesto absolutely cooked with this long-awaited ID! After shaking clubs worldwide, we can finally bump it in our headphones. 🎧 Subscribe and enable alerts (🔔) for a new track upload daily! Spotify playlist ▶︎ https://nyx.lnk.to/spotify 🫵 DJ & producer recommendations: »» 20% discount on all sample packs (use code NYX20) ➡ https://techhousemarket.com »» 20% discount on all sample packs (use code NYX20) ➡ https://hy2rogen.com »» 20% discount on all vocal packs (use code NYX20) ➡ https://vocalfy.com »» Support the artist and buy records ➡ https://beatport.com/?a_aid=67bedae00dabb »» Fresh new tech house samples & loops ➡ https://loopcloud.com/?a_aid=67bedae00dabb 🎵 Discover track IDs & legendary live moments: »» https://instagram.com/themythofnyx »» https://tiktok.com/@themythofnyx »» https://soundcloud.com/themythofnyx 🎨 Follow Mesto: »» https://facebook.com/djmesto »» https://soundcloud.com/mestomusic »» https://twitter.com/mestomusic »» https://instagram.com/mestomusic Tags: #mesto #caramelle #extendedmix #techhouse #themythofnyx
Samancor Chrome Ltd. may cut as many as 2,496 jobs in South Africa next year as it considers closing or slimming down operations because of high energy costs, a labor union said.
the market for a new camera, this holiday season is the time to buy. There’s some great Black Friday camera deals available right now, including one on our favorite GoPro, the GoPro Hero 13 Black. There are plenty of other GoPro camera deals, along with some good buys on cameras from Insta360, DJI, Fujifilm, and more.
Probably not. Probably what you need to do is spend a lot more time with the one you have, but if buying a new camera makes you feel like maybe you’re getting better at photography, far be it for me to stop you. Hitting too close to home? I feel you. I mean I want a new camera, the Sony A7C R is an amazing camera, the autofocus is light year’s ahead of my A7R II, the sensor is bigger, the dynamic range is better, and it’s smaller and lighter. What’s not to love? But it isn’t going to instantly make me take better pictures.
To make better images you have to spend time at it. It takes practice. Shooting everyday, even if you only have 10 minutes, walk around the neighborhood and play with different compositions, try shooting in ways you normally don’t. Experiment with different light at different times of the day. Just get out an shoot more. Most of it will be garbage, but you’ll be learning.
GoPro did not release a new model of its Hero action camera this year. Last year’s Hero 13 is still the latest, but it’s on sale for Black Friday anyway. Last year’s GoPro Hero 13 was the first significant change for GoPro’s flagship action camera in many years. The company added an interchangeable lens system, along with Macro, Ultra Wide, and Anamorphic lenses, plus a set of four neutral density filters. The new interchangeable lens system opens up shooting possibilities that simply don’t exist with other action cameras. For some reason, this camera often gets overlooked. It’s just fun to shoot with.
I think the slickest part of the Hero 13’s new lens and filter system is that the Hero 13 Black autodetects which lens is attached and changes the Hero 13’s settings accordingly. This is especially nice for those who don’t want to fiddle with fine-tuning their camera settings every time they change lenses or pop on a neutral density filter. I’ve been using all three lenses for over a year now and they’re all nice, but the Ultra Wide is my favorite. I mainly use my GoPro to shoot from the handlebars of my bike, so the wider the shot, the better and more immersive the footage becomes, hence my love of the Ultra Wide. The Hero Black ultra wide edition is also on sale.
Everything that made GoPro a household name is here as well, with industry leading hypersmooth stabilization, all kinds of helpful shooting modes, and support for GoPro’s Quik app. Also note that if you buy through gopro.com, the company includes a year’s worth of GoPro Premium, the company’s subscription cloud storage service, If the GoPro has a shortcoming, it’s the battery life. It’s OK, but not great. I suggest grabbing an extra battery.
So, given that there was no Hero 14 this year, how future-proof is the Hero 13? I would say very future proof. I will admit, the newly announced DJI Action 6, which has a variable aperture lens, is very interesting, but it’s still an automated aperture rather than giving you a full aperture priority mode. I’m also a little leery of DJI products, given the ban on imports that starts December 23, 2025. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 below is also on sale, and I do love that camera as well, especially with the new accessories that turn it into something more like a point-and-shoot. But in the end, when I head out the door for a ride, or a paddle, or, right now, some snowshoeing, the action camera I reach for remains the GoPro Hero 13 Black.
Our top pick action camera for most people, the Action 5 is a great option. It has better battery life than the Hero 13, and better low light performance, though do keep in mind that support in the US will be limited after December 23, 2025.
If you’re going to turn your action camera on yourself, the Ace Pro 2 is our top pick for vlogging. It has a great lens and sensor co-engineered with Leica, capable of recording 8K video at up to 30 fps. My only gripe is the lack of 10-bit color, but unless you’re doing your color in post, you won’t miss it.
GoPro Media Mod for $79 ($21 off): My most used accessory by far, this vastly improves the GoPro’s sound and allows you to plugin external mics as well.
The GoPro Max 2 is the best 360 camera you can buy and it’s currently $100 off. The dual 14 mm (35 mm equivalent) lenses of the Max 2 each record to a 1/2.3-inch chip, the largest available in a 360 camera. This gives what GoPro calls “True 8K” video, by which the company means that the actual recorded area of the sensor is 8K, whereas other 360 cameras have an 8K sensor, but only record about 6K or 7K worth of that sensor as the actual image. The short story is that the Max 2’s video is sharper and clearer. Couple this with support for 10-bit color in Log files and you have footage that the competition just can’t match.
Our former top pick, the Insta360 X5 is still an excellent 360 camera. It uses twin 1/1.28″ sensors to capture very near 8K video. The dynamic range is impressive, and the color science here is very good though it does tend toward the oversaturated.
This is the best price you’re going to see on a 360 camera. The Insta360 X4 has been superseded by the X5, but it’s still a great camera. The video quality is the same resolution as the X5 (8K), but it lacks the X5’s updated sensors, processor, and improved color options.
What if there were a film camera that captured digital images? That’s what the Camp Snap camera is, the screen-free aspect means that, like, film, you don’t know how your images look until later— you can keep photographing without getting pulled out of the moment as much. The Camp Snap can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card, and it comes with a USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer. This one is a fun gift to give too.
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 99 is the best Instax camera for those who love manual controls and creative effects. The Mini 99 offers some manual focus and exposure controls, as well as some fun color effects, like the ability to simulate light leaks just like those thrift store cameras collecting dust on your shelf. There are two dials on top of the Mini 99. One acts like an exposure compensation dial, allowing you to adjust exposure value (EV) two stops brighter and two darker. I found the L (Lighten) and L+ useful when shooting against snow, which has a tendency to overwhelm small sensors like this one. It’s also good for strongly backlit scenes, though those are still not Instax’s strong suit. The Mini 99 has a 60-mm lens made of plastic. It works out to roughly the same field of view as a 35-mm lens in 35-mm format (or if you prefer, somewhere between 1x and 2x on your iPhone). The shutter is fixed at f/12.7, which means you’ll be relying on the flash in all but bright, sunny, outdoor shots. That said, unlike quite a few other Instax models, with the Mini 99 you can turn off the flash for those well-lit shots, and that means far fewer washed-out images.
This one is nearly always on sale for Black Friday. It’s our pick for best budget Instax as it manages to be a capable, but easy to use camera wrapped in a colorful, bubbly design aimed at beginners.
The Mini 41 is essentially the Mini 12 in a different body. Same capabilities, but looking more like a “camera” should.
The Best Deals on Our Favorite Photo Printing Services
A photograph isn’t a photograph until you print it. Strong words, but I’ll stand by them. Luckily there’s some great deals right now that will let you print your images without spending a fortune.
Our favorite place to print photos is holding a 30 percent off sale on its print services. Mpix makes high-quality prints at a reasonable price even when it’s full price, which makes this a great deal. Mpix prints on Kodak Endura paper and offers a variety of paper options. I tested the E-surface, which renders rich, deep blacks and true-to-life colors. It holds up well over time; the images we printed in 2013 look exactly like they did when we got them. We also like Mpix’s books and calendars.
If you need to print gifts for your family, Shutterfly is having a sitewide 50 percent off sale. We’re fans of Shutterfly’s book printing service, which had the best results so far in our testing of photo printing services. We also like the calendars. The printing is good enough, especially for the price, and shipping is generally speedy.
The highest-quality prints in our testing came from Adorama’s Printique service. It would be top pick in our print services guide if it were a bit cheaper, which, with this deal, it is. You can choose from a range of papers, and they’re listed by their actual names like Kodak Endura or Fujifilm Matte. I also like the option to print the date and file name on the back of each image.
The death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128 with as many as 200 missing, officials have said, as rescue operations were declared over.
Firefighters were combing through the high-rises on Friday morning, attempting to find anyone alive after the massive fire that spread to seven of eight towers in one of the city’s deadliest ever blazes.
BALTIMORE — One play on Thursday night showed just exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals have missed over the past nine games.
Quarterback Joe Burrow stepped up in the pocket and layered a ball in the perfect spot for wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, who caught the ball in stride for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow celebrated accordingly by yelling and bumping helmets with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
After missing more than two months with a turf toe injury that required surgery, Burrow threw two touchdown passes in a 32-14 win at M&T Bank Stadium. It was the reward for a long and strenuous rehab process that started back in September.
“There’s no better feeling than that — putting in work for a long time and going out and it paying off,” Burrow said.
Burrow was 24-of-46 passing for 261 yards, the two scores and no interceptions. He helped the Bengals (4-8) snap a four-game losing streak and pick up the team’s first win over Baltimore (6-6) since the 2022 postseason.
It took a little while for Burrow and the offense to find their rhythm. Cincinnati’s first four drives into the red zone didn’t yield a touchdown, including a sequence where the Bengals were stopped on four straight plays inside Baltimore’s 2-yard line.
Finding Ja’Marr Chase in key situations helped keep the offense moving. Chase had 100 yards before the end of the third quarter.
But it was later in the game when Burrow finally hit his stride.
“The whole first half, my feet were a little antsy back there,” Burrow said. “In the second half, I felt a lot more comfortable [and] started putting them where I wanted to.”
One play could be considered the turning point.
With the Bengals threatening to spoil another red zone possession, Burrow lofted a ball toward tight end Tanner Hudson, who spun and made an improbable one-handed catch just before exiting the corner of the end zone. That gave the Bengals a 19-7 lead with 7:22 left in the third quarter and some breathing room that had been hard to find until that point.
“You felt the confidence in the entire team when we had a chance to create some separation for ourselves there,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said after the game. “So it was a big play.”
Then came the throw from Burrow that swooped over a defender in zone coverage and into the arms of Iosivas. After the game, in a much calmer manner than in the moments immediately following the throw, Burrow said he was pleased with that ball.
“Didn’t exactly spin it the way I wanted it, but that’s all right,” he said. “I put it in a good spot, and he was ready for the look. That one felt good.”
Burrow played the game with a plate in his left shoe. During pregame warmups, Burrow did quick sprints back and forth and worked on changing direction quickly. After the quick tests, he fist-bumped Bengals rehab director Nick Cosgray and continued with the rest of his routine.
And over the course of the game, Burrow had plenty of opportunities to test out that surgically repaired big toe.
He had eight throws on the run, according to Next Gen Stats. On those attempts where he was moving 8 miles per hour or more, he had six completions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Burrow also had six attempts outside of the pocket. Early in the game, Burrow scrambled to his left and tried to find Iosivas in the end zone. While the pass was incomplete, Burrow said it showed him that he could move better than he anticipated entering Thursday night.
“I was a little more mobile than I expected to be to be honest, so that felt good,” Burrow said. “We got a good system on the sideline of changing shoes out and doing what I need to do to stay fresh, so we’ll continue to do that.”
After the game, Burrow was in a reflective mood. He paused for several moments to answer questions about the recovery process from the toe injury that derailed what could have been a promising season. If Burrow was feeling any extra emotion during the week, Chase said, he might have hidden it.
But there was no denying what Burrow felt after the win.
“[It] hasn’t been easy on me through six years from a lot of different angles, but I’ve worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there,” Burrow said. “And a lot of people around me have done the same.
“There’s been a lot of discussions and a lot of time in the training room and just a lot that has gone into this. And I’m proud to be back.”
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