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.
LG really doesn’t make life easy for themselves. They make some solid hardware, but stall massively in updating their devices. The LG V30, V35, and V40 were supposed to get Android Pie by June, but that initial deadline has come and gone. We have some good news, though, as an early Android Pie beta has leaked for the LG V30.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was and is a fantastic Note. It marries the stunning design approach that Samsung has become known for since the release of the Galaxy S8 and the all-day power of the Note 5, all while avoiding the misfires (terrible pun) of the Note 7 and Note 8.
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.
Motorola has been busy prepping three big Android Pie releases for the Moto Z3, Moto Z3 Play, Moto Z2 Force and the Moto G6, and now they’re here.
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At a London launch event, Huawei unveiled the Mate 20X 5G, a refresh of the previous regional exclusive Mate 20X.
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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.
As we are within weeks of the official unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, the opportunity for more leaks is about to peak. The latest leak involves the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, which appears could be a timed Verizon exclusive according to the consistently reputable leaker Evan Blass (now pulled).
The previous OnePlus 7 Pro OxygenOS 9.5.9 update brought a ton of upgrades and improvements to what is already one of the best smartphones on the market. But that didn’t stop issues, as the OxygenOS 9.5.10 update is a full hotfix for the previous update and is rolling out right now.
Samsung is in the midst of an update overhaul, starting with the S10, Note 9, and then filtering down to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
We can all agree that Google Photos is one of the very best gallery management apps and experiences. The introduction of Gallery Go looks set to offer almost all of that full flavor but with a sizeable portion of the fat trimmed off.
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 RED Hydrogen One was a bit of a disaster. It failed to live up to the hype, and it was obvious that this was the first phone from a manufacturer that primarily made cameras. That said, we have the very first details of a RED Hydrogen Two, courtesy of company founder Jim Jannard.
Google has officially launched another “lite” app for a popular full-fat option in the form of Gallery Go. The photo app offers many of the best Google Photos features available to emerging markets in a slimmed-down package.
We often praise the update schedule that OnePlus keeps for their devices, and that continues with the release of the third Android Q beta for the OnePlus 6, 6T, 7, and 7 Pro.
Considering that Wear OS — formally Android Wear — is now five years old, the platform still hasn’t realized it’s undoubted potential. The hardware is certainly not lacking but the cohesion and overall integration are where we see the Apple Watch simply devour every Wear OS option out there.
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.
After an extensive legal process that began in 2015, Google is set to pay around $11 million in settlements to over 200 people who believe they were wrongly denied the opportunity to forge a career at the company due to their age.
The latest Oxygen OS Open beta updates 23 and 15 are now rolling out for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T owners who have opted into the program. The update brings the new enhanced Screen recorder settings, DC Dimming feature, and some further OS tweaks.
Owners of the OnePlus 5 and 5T can rejoice, as the latest stable Oxygen OS 9.0.7 update is now rolling out with some notable and solid additions while also including the June 2019 patch.
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 Asus ROG Phone 2, after leaks and launch rumors, has now gone official and will no doubt provide one of the most spec-laden smartphone experiences of the year (via GSMArena).
The OnePlus 7 Pro is arguably one of the best phones you can buy right now. It does, however, have areas where improvements can be made, the steadily improving Nightscape mode being one example.
The OnePlus 6 and 6T are now receiving a couple of OxygenOS OTAs that bring the much-requested native Screen recorder feature and the June 2019 security patch.
Ahead of the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, we have quite a bit of information and plenty of rumors to delve into.