Damien is 9to5Google‘s resident Video Producer and has over a decade of UK media experience. He worked within the sports industry and with numerous sports-focused publications — including golfing publication National Club Golfer — prior to joining the 9to5Google team.
After completing a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Hull with a major focus on data analytics and UX, he joined the Press Association (now PA Media), developing growing sports data products for the Barclay’s Premier League. These’s data packages included the now-defunct ACTIM Index which eventually evolved into the EA Sports Player Performance Index.
While working with the UK’s largest media agency, he attained a MA in Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University after completing his studies in 2014. This is where a love affair with all things videography surfaced after a brief stint in student TV. A major interest and constantly growing know-how of technology and videography have seen Damien lead 9to5Google’s official YouTube channel since 2018. He previously hosted the 9to5Google Daily podcast from 2019 to 2021.
Damien’s expertise and focus area lie in a number of beats including Android and OEM software updates, mobile applications, smartphone and accessory reviews, and just about anything that makes a modern mobile nerd tick. He says that he is “platform agnostic” despite primarily using Android devices and attempts to regularly test the iOS waters to better understand the nuances of the tech he covers on a day-to-day basis.
Outside of the tech space Damien is an avid supporter of his boyhood soccer team Hull City and is even a fully qualified Barista — with 3 years of experience making speciality coffee. Be sure to follow him on Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Instagram for insights and upcoming video updates and tidbits. If you are interested, you can also check out just what video gear he is currently using on his dedicated Kit.co page.
Xiaomi has released yet another gaming phone in the form of the Black Shark 3S — an Android smartphone that on paper offers some serious hardware.
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YouTube is testing a new upload icon and icon positioning on the mobile app to help improve and streamline uploads from your smartphone.
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Hot on the heels of the OnePlus Nord, BBK teammate Oppo has now officially unveiled the mid-range Reno 4 Pro globally.
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OxygenOS 10.3.5 is now officially rolling out for the OnePlus 6 and 6T with the update bringing some notable software tweaks and the July 2020 security patch.
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It looks like some early OnePlus Nord models are already experiencing display issues including “purple-tint” and off-axis color problems.
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With the Wear OS segment lacking any real innovation thanks to an almost monopoly of Fossil-branded hardware, it’s great to see new players enter the space. Oppo’s first Wear OS device, the Oppo Watch is now officially going global today with a familiar design but an interesting take on the Google wearable OS.
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The growth of Google Stadia might not have been quite as substantial as it could have been, but July 2020 has brought with it yet more glimpses of what the game-streaming platform will eventually be capable of.
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The budget smartphone market across the world is really hotting up, with the Samsung Galaxy M31s being yet another fine addition to the list of choices for the savvy consumer.
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For the very first time, Huawei has managed to surpass Samsung in global smartphone shipments worldwide according to a new report by analysis firm Canalys.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
As we have seen with almost all recent flagship Samsung Galaxy hardware, plenty of tidbits, information, and images have leaked. We’ve been sifting through the masses of Galaxy Note 20 rumors to better segregate fact from fiction.
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Rugged Android smartphones are not all that common, but there are a few brands that carry the flag for durable tech. The Bullitt Group-built Caterpillar Cat S62 Pro is one such rugged device, and it comes with some interesting tech that you probably won’t find elsewhere.
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The Netflix app for Android has now reached an impressive 1 billion install milestone on the Google Play Store, making it the most popular streaming service after YouTube.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
Digital Wellbeing is a fantastic tool for managing your smartphone usage but a very minor update now turns apps grayscale just before they “time out.”
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For the pro camera enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Sony Xperia 1 II is now gaining RAW photo capture support courtesy of its latest update.
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Google has launched a brand new initiative to help local sports fans get all of their news in one convenient, easy to access place with the launch of “The Matchup.”
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Google Photos movie creation is great for reminding you of photos and videos you’ve shot by giving you a little motion memory to keep. However, Google Photos movies are now weirdly stuck in portrait mode.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
It’s easy to criticize brands that have made their name on aggressively low price to performance when they steadily bump up costs and move away from the “flagship killer” roots. However, the OnePlus Nord feels like a step back and reassessment of what we should expect from future mid-rangers.
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Thanks to the tweaks made to notifications in Android over the past few years, more and more quick functionality has been added to help save time and effort. It looks like that has expanded as you can set reminders within Google Keep from notifications.
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If you are still rocking the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, we have some great news as the One UI 2.1 update is rolling out for the 2018 flagship right now.
We all love emoji, especially when we get new options to toy with. The full release of Android 11 is bringing with it 117 new emoji, and we’ve gone hands-on for a “proper” closer look.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.