Patrick O'Rourke
@patrickorourke.bsky.social
@xdasocial.bsky.social News Editor and Entertainment Lead | Seen on CBC, CTV | https://expansionpak.substack.com | Past: @pocketlintcom, @mobilesyrup, Financial Post, Postmedia, Canada.com | [email protected]
I played Arc Raiders for the first time in a week last night. In every run but one another squad straight up shot on site. The friendly vibes appear to be gone.
December 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
I played Arc Raiders for the first time in a week last night. In every run but one another squad straight up shot on site. The friendly vibes appear to be gone.
Has anyone seen a decent NAS on sale this week? I’m looking to build a home Plex server.
December 27, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Has anyone seen a decent NAS on sale this week? I’m looking to build a home Plex server.
The only ornament that matters.
December 25, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The only ornament that matters.
Here’s some Christmas Eve XDA blogging from me. www.xda-developers.com/no-microsoft...
No, Microsoft isn't actually eliminating C and C++ from its software
A recent report emerged that the tech giant aims to replace all of its code with Rust and AI
www.xda-developers.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Here’s some Christmas Eve XDA blogging from me. www.xda-developers.com/no-microsoft...
TV HDMI ports are far more confusing than they might initially seem, especially if you’re looking to take advantage of high-bandwidth 4K/120Hz. www.xda-developers.com/not-all-tv-h...
Not all TV HDMI ports are created equal, and I found out the hard way
Most mid-range and even some high-end TVs, require you to turn on high-bandwidth.
www.xda-developers.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:19 AM
TV HDMI ports are far more confusing than they might initially seem, especially if you’re looking to take advantage of high-bandwidth 4K/120Hz. www.xda-developers.com/not-all-tv-h...
Streaming apps are basically cable that you can more easily cancel now. I’ve been taking advantage of that versatility for years, but as these platforms become more expensive, I’ve been considering diving back into the world of home media servers. www.xda-developers.com/streaming-us...
Streaming used to feel like freedom, now it's just cable again
Over the past few years, the value streaming apps once offered has rapidly disappeared
www.xda-developers.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Streaming apps are basically cable that you can more easily cancel now. I’ve been taking advantage of that versatility for years, but as these platforms become more expensive, I’ve been considering diving back into the world of home media servers. www.xda-developers.com/streaming-us...
This is pretty wild. I imagine it won’t be long until the torrent shows up on one of the usual platforms. www.xda-developers.com/pirate-activ...
A pirate activist group says it scraped 86 million songs from Spotify
Anna's Archive says that it has pulled the entirety of Spotify's music library.
www.xda-developers.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
This is pretty wild. I imagine it won’t be long until the torrent shows up on one of the usual platforms. www.xda-developers.com/pirate-activ...
I know Vice City is ancient, but the fact that it can now run in a browser is wild to me. www.xda-developers.com/gta-vice-cit...
GTA: Vice City barely ran on my PC in 2002 - now you can play it in your browser
The game required a high-end PC 20 years ago, but now you can play it right in a browser
www.xda-developers.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I know Vice City is ancient, but the fact that it can now run in a browser is wild to me. www.xda-developers.com/gta-vice-cit...
Samsung and Apple are best friends when it comes to RAM now. www.xda-developers.com/samsung-emer...
Samsung emerges as Apple’s top RAM supplier amid global memory crunch
According to a new report, Apple aims to source the majority of its smartphone RAM supply from Samsung.
www.xda-developers.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Samsung and Apple are best friends when it comes to RAM now. www.xda-developers.com/samsung-emer...
This is a really good discount on Cyberpunk 2077 for the Switch 2. I couldn’t deal with the lacklustre frame rate when I played it at a demo event, but if that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, this is crazy cheap. www.xda-developers.com/cyberpunk-20...
Cyberpunk 2077 is ridiculously on sale for the Switch 2 right now
Nintendo's annual holiday sale has arrived just in time..
www.xda-developers.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:39 PM
This is a really good discount on Cyberpunk 2077 for the Switch 2. I couldn’t deal with the lacklustre frame rate when I played it at a demo event, but if that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, this is crazy cheap. www.xda-developers.com/cyberpunk-20...
I need to look into it a bit more, but I’m really thinking about giving Bazzite a shot. In theory, I love the idea of a gaming-focused Linux distribution. www.xda-developers.com/windows-fati...
Windows fatigue continues to push thousands of gamers to switch to this Linux distro
The SteamOS-like Linux distro's weekly downloads are increasing rapidly.
www.xda-developers.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I need to look into it a bit more, but I’m really thinking about giving Bazzite a shot. In theory, I love the idea of a gaming-focused Linux distribution. www.xda-developers.com/windows-fati...
I’m shocked at how well Assassin’s Creed Shadows runs on the ROG Xbox Ally X. I have it set to 1080p with FSR on performance and most graphics settings on low or medium, and I’m getting between 30-40fps (it also still looks really good).
December 21, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I’m shocked at how well Assassin’s Creed Shadows runs on the ROG Xbox Ally X. I have it set to 1080p with FSR on performance and most graphics settings on low or medium, and I’m getting between 30-40fps (it also still looks really good).
More good news. www.xda-developers.com/ongoing-ram-...
The ongoing DRAM shortage will likely "persist well into 2027"
RAM-heavy AI PCs and budget smartphones will cost more next year, says a new report
www.xda-developers.com
December 19, 2025 at 11:39 PM
More good news. www.xda-developers.com/ongoing-ram-...
I know I’m hard on the Apple TV 4K, but I’m genuinely hyped for the next-generation version. Hopefully, it arrives in early 2026. www.xda-developers.com/3-reasons-wh...
3 reasons why the long-overdue new Apple TV 4K will be worth the wait
A faster chip, upgraded Wi-Fi, and Apple Intelligence might make their way to Apple's next set-top box.
www.xda-developers.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I know I’m hard on the Apple TV 4K, but I’m genuinely hyped for the next-generation version. Hopefully, it arrives in early 2026. www.xda-developers.com/3-reasons-wh...
Earlier this week, I went hands-on with Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold. It's undeniably a fascinating technical achievement by Samsung, but I'm not sure who this phone is for. My latest feature for XDA. www.xda-developers.com/samsung-gala...
I went hands-on with the Galaxy Z TriFold, and was surprised by its impressively refined design
After a few minutes of brief skepticism, I quickly warmed up to the out-there phone and its three foldable displays.
www.xda-developers.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Earlier this week, I went hands-on with Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold. It's undeniably a fascinating technical achievement by Samsung, but I'm not sure who this phone is for. My latest feature for XDA. www.xda-developers.com/samsung-gala...
I really don’t need my Apple TV 4K to ask what profile I want to sign into every time I turn it on. www.xda-developers.com/i-removed-th...
I removed this annoying Apple TV 4K tvOS 26 feature by changing one setting
User profiles might be useful for some people, but for me, it's just another screen I'm forced navigate before watching content
www.xda-developers.com
December 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I really don’t need my Apple TV 4K to ask what profile I want to sign into every time I turn it on. www.xda-developers.com/i-removed-th...
HDD prices have jumped 4% quarter-over-quarter. www.xda-developers.com/first-it-was...
First it was RAM, now it's HDDs: prices are spiking across the board
The legacy technology is quickly getting far more expensive.
www.xda-developers.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:14 PM
HDD prices have jumped 4% quarter-over-quarter. www.xda-developers.com/first-it-was...
Well, this can be added to the growing pile of dead Google products and services. www.xda-developers.com/google-shutt...
Google is killing off its very useful free dark web Google is shuttering its very useful free dark web monitoring toolmonitoring tool
The tech giant suggests using its other security tools instead.
www.xda-developers.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Well, this can be added to the growing pile of dead Google products and services. www.xda-developers.com/google-shutt...
If you’re planning to buy a new GPU, it’s probably a good idea to do it soon. www.xda-developers.com/nvidia-repor...
Nvidia will reportedly cut GPU production by up to 40% in 2026 as VRAM crisis continues
It looks like the ongoing memory crisis is hitting the graphics card market now.
www.xda-developers.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:11 PM
If you’re planning to buy a new GPU, it’s probably a good idea to do it soon. www.xda-developers.com/nvidia-repor...
Jellyfin has a new desktop app. www.xda-developers.com/jellyfin-new...
Jellyfin gets a new desktop app with updated features
The self-hosting media platform's server has also been updated.
www.xda-developers.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Jellyfin has a new desktop app. www.xda-developers.com/jellyfin-new...
Amazon is outright blocking piracy apps on Fire TV Streaming Sticks now. www.xda-developers.com/amazon-fire-...
Amazon Fire TV is now actively blocking shady apps with a full-screen warning
If you use dubious apps on your Fire TV Stick, you're about to be disappointed.
www.xda-developers.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Amazon is outright blocking piracy apps on Fire TV Streaming Sticks now. www.xda-developers.com/amazon-fire-...
My smart TV’s operating system was incredibly slow until I cleared its cache. It’s a basic trick, but it fixed all of the issues I experienced with my Hisense U8H. My latest feature for @xdasocial.bsky.social is live. www.xda-developers.com/this-simple-...
This simple trick fixed my laggy smart TV
If you're smart TV's operating system is stuttering, clearing its cache is often a quick way to speed it up.
www.xda-developers.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:16 PM
My smart TV’s operating system was incredibly slow until I cleared its cache. It’s a basic trick, but it fixed all of the issues I experienced with my Hisense U8H. My latest feature for @xdasocial.bsky.social is live. www.xda-developers.com/this-simple-...
I knew it was coming, but I’m still bummed iRobot and the Roomba are basically dead now. www.xda-developers.com/irobot-roomb...
The Roomba is dead, and I'm super sad about it
The robot vacuum pioneer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
www.xda-developers.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I knew it was coming, but I’m still bummed iRobot and the Roomba are basically dead now. www.xda-developers.com/irobot-roomb...
Over the next few months, mid-range laptops will likely more commonly feature 8GB of RAM. www.xda-developers.com/memory-short...
As the memory shortage continues, Laptops with only 8GB of RAM could soon be the new normal
If you're looking to buy a mid-range laptop anytime soon, you'll unfortunately need to accept a lower price-to-performance ratio.
www.xda-developers.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Over the next few months, mid-range laptops will likely more commonly feature 8GB of RAM. www.xda-developers.com/memory-short...
I look forward to putting every N64 game ever on a 5D memory crystal. www.xda-developers.com/this-glass-5...
This futuristic 5D glass 'memory crystal' can store data for 13.8 billion years
The futuristic tech is years away from making its way to consumers, but it's undeniably cool.
www.xda-developers.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I look forward to putting every N64 game ever on a 5D memory crystal. www.xda-developers.com/this-glass-5...