Google Photos face-grouping feature now rolling out in Europe
Google Photos is rolling out face-grouping to Europe finally after we first saw the feature rollout to some regions way back in 2015 would you believe.
Author
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.
Samsung releases new Galaxy Note 10 wallpapers to help hide the hole-punch
Even Samsung understands that the notch on the seriously impressive but simultaneously disappointing Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ might be an eyesore. So much so that they have released a brand new set of wallpapers to help you hide the unsightly in-display notch on your brand new Note 10.
[Update: Rolling out in US] HTC U11, U11+ and U12+ will get Android Pie by Q2 2019
HTC feels very much like a forgotten smartphone manufacturer. That said, the Taiwanese brand has confirmed that it hasn’t forgotten about three of its handsets with regard to software updates. The company confirmed on Twitter that the HTC U11, U11+ and U12+ will get Android Pie by Q2 2019.
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Google Go hands-on: Super cut-back ‘browser’ [Video]
Open up your smartphone web browser and the experience is probably pretty snappy if you have a new or reasonably new smartphone. Enter Google Go, a cut-down version of Google Search that is designed specifically for modest hardware and slow connections.
9to5Google Daily 288: Google is killing yet another messaging platform
Listen to a recap of all the top 9to5Google stories of the day. 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.
[Update: Mate 9, Mate 10, P10] Huawei’s EMUI 9.1 is set to head to a further 49 devices soon
Huawei’s EMUI might not be our favorite OEM Android skin out there, but it is much better than it once was with EMUI 9.1 on the P30 Pro. The Android Pie update is now making its way to 49 Huawei-branded devices in the very near future.
9to5Google Daily 287: The Pixel 3a has helped boost Google’s smartphone sales in the US
Listen to a recap of all the top 9to5Google stories of the day. 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.
Honor 20 Pro review: A great budget package that’s better late than never [Video]
While the Honor 20 Pro is unlikely to ever make it to the United States, for the rest of the world, the phone looked to be the first casualty in the ongoing US-China trade war.
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Report: Google sees nearly 90% YoY sales growth in US thanks to the Pixel 3a
A new report from Counterpoint Research has shown that the Pixel line remains one of the fastest-growing smartphone ranges in the United States — thanks to sales of the Pixel 3a.
Huawei’s Kirin 990 chipset set to add support for 4K 60 fps video capture
According to a report by Neowin, the next-generation Kirin 990 chipset is set to be the first Huawei chipset to support 4K 60 fps video recording.
Report: 85 popular Google Play Store apps forced full-screen ads on users
According to a new report, 85 popular Google Play Store apps with over 8 million total downloads were found to be forcing full-screen ads when installed on your smartphone.
LineageOS 16 now available for Zenfone 6, Razer Phone, older Samsungs
The latest wave of devices to support the Android Pie-based LineageOS 16 now includes the Asus Zenfone 6, original Razer Phone, and several older Samsung Galaxy devices as originally spotted by the folks over at Android Police.
OxygenOS 9.5.10 now rolling out to T-Mobile OnePlus 7 Pro w/ multiple fixes
After a slight delay, the T-Mobile OnePlus 7 Pro is now getting the OxygenOS 9.5.10 update that brings quite a few fixes and system improvements.
9to5Google Daily 286: Google appears to be making serious volumes of silicon
Listen to a recap of all the top 9to5Google stories of the day. 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.
Microsoft SMS Organizer app now available in US, UK, Australia
While in most of the world, SMS is almost a dying protocol, it is still popular and used by millions every single day. The Microsoft created SMS Organizer is now available in the US, UK, and Australia, and is designed to help you get a grip of text message spam, promotions, reminders, and general clutter.
Nvidia CEO: Google is only customer building its own silicon at scale
According to a new report via CNBC, Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, claims that Google is the only customer of the chipmaker that is building its own silicon at scale.
First Galaxy Note 10 update brings August patch, camera improvements, more
We’re just in that lull after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ but we’ve now got our first update for the newest flagship on the block.
[Update: US Unlocked Galaxy S10] August 2019 patch now rolling out to Galaxy S9 and S9+ devices
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are part of the second wave of Samsung phones to get the August 2019 patch — after we first saw the Note 8 and Note 9 get the patch just last week.
[Update: Official images] Report: The Huawei Mate X launch date looks to have slipped to November
Folding phones have endured a rocky start ever since the Samsung Galaxy Fold hit a snag and had to be pulled from sale. Noticing the well-publicized problems, Huawei initially delayed the launch of its own foldable — the Mate X.
Comment: Android’s fragmentation also happens to be its core strength [Video]
When you hear “Android fragmentation,” we often conjure up the negatives, but there is more to the mobile OS forks than slightly slow software updates. Unlike Android, iOS has an end-to-end experience controlled by Apple from start to finish. That means that because of iOS, we sometimes wrongly see fragmentation as a dirty word. The thing is, it is actually quite the opposite on the Android side of the fence.
9to5Google Daily 285: Wear OS stuggles to gain a foothold in the US market
Listen to a recap of all the top 9to5Google stories of the day. 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.
The Moto Z2 Force gains 5G support on Verizon thanks to Moto Mods
The Motorola Moto Z2 Force has now gained 5G support on Verizon thanks to an update that allows you to use Moto Mods to connect to the superfast network.
[Update: Mate 20 Pro too] Huawei P30, P30 Pro update adds DC Dimming, in-display fingerprint tweaks
Despite US sanctions weighing heavily on Huawei’s neck, their latest flagship devices, the P30 and P30 Pro, appear to be receiving an update in China that brings with it DC Dimming features along with much needed in-display fingerprint reader improvements.
9to5Google Daily 284: Nest camera status lights now can’t be disabled
Listen to a recap of all the top 9to5Google stories of the day. 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.