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.
Despite growing fears that Android support will cease after August 19th, 2019, the Huawei P30 Pro is currently getting EMUI 9.1.0.178 updates that include some much-requested features including DC Dimming and Bluetooth audio stability improvements.
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Each and every single WhatsApp beta update gives us a little glimpse into what might come to future full updates of the application, granted they are not guaranteed features like the latest picture-in-picture mode for video.
The long-awaited release of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now set for a June 21 release date in the US and UK.
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Smart plugs and power strips are now increasingly common but there are very few that offer the ability to power an entire home entertainment system, office, or even bedroom from one outlet — enter the meross Smart Power strip — a true Google Home Essential.
The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is getting its first proper OxygenOS update with version 9.5.4 after being announced on the Official OnePlus forums.
The OnePlus 7 Pro is a fantastic device that deserves a ton of praise but right out of the box it lacks a few things here and there — including some key accessories.
Google’s Search is set to get taken up a notch with the addition of video bookmarks for YouTube ‘how-to’ videos when you want guidance or help.
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We often think of beta programs as a way for users to try new features before a full rollout but for OEMs such as Xiaomi, their MIUI beta program acts as a way to get valuable feedback before stable releases too.
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Xiaomi has confirmed that it’s Android Q-based MIUI 11 will head to 11 devices by Q1 2020. [Now stands at 13 with the Pocophone F1 expected to get MIUI 11].
The brand new Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is releasing on Sprint’s fledgling 5G network starting June 21st after being confirmed today.
The launch of the much anticipated foldable Huawei Mate X phone has been postponed from June until September.
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We’re slowly and steadily moving into a wireless audio world, and if you don’t jump on board, your pool of smartphone choices over the next few years is bound to slip through no fault of your own. I understand, you may not want to move into the murky waters of Bluetooth audio but I have an affordable $30 entry-level solution — the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots.
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The OxygenOS Open Beta program proves to be one of the best for bringing new features to a wide product line. The latest of these OxygenOS betas are now rolling out to OnePlus 5/5T and 6/6T devices with a ton of new additions including Fnatic mode.
The Essential Phone is one of the best-supported devices, even despite the rocky road they’ve traveled since release in 2017. Despite the internal support, somewhat shockingly, the Essential Phone has never been officially supported by LineageOS — until now.
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One of the best semi-safety features with the Google Play Store has been the refund decision system. If you made an errant purchase or bought something in an app by mistake, being able to get your money back almost instantly was an incredibly excellent inclusion.
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The entire launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold has been a complete disaster from start to finish. It gets worse as now AT&T is canceling all pre-orders of the Galaxy Fold due to the delays and uncertainty surrounding the folding device.
Getting affordable CCTV or security cameras installed is now easier than ever thanks to the Google Home and Google Assistant ecosystem, and the TP-Link Kasa Spot indoor security camera is arguably one of the best affordable options on the market right now.
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OxygenOS 9.5.5 is now rolling out to OnePlus 7 devices and brings with it a series of camera fixes and improvements alongside the May 2019 security patch.
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Dark mode on apps and services is becoming more and more pervasive, slowly we are seeing a shift to the less eye-blasting muted color scheme and we couldn’t be happier. Next up in the Google stable is Files by Google, which has added a dark mode in its latest beta build but it appears that it only works on the Android Q beta.
Samsung has finally added the much anticipated dedicated standalone Night mode to the Galaxy S9 with the latest OTA update.
We’ve already had a glimpse of what the shell of the Google Pixel 4 could look like thanks to some renders and dummy cases that are said to be the basis for third-party case manufacturer’s upcoming products. Now another tidbit has emerged. According to XDA Developers, we could see Google implement a ‘True Tone-like’ auto white balance feature on the Pixel 4 display.
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One massive complaint from many fans and creators with YouTube is the odd way the system is currently handling video notifications. In a ‘Backstage at YouTube’ video, the team behind much of the system has given an update on the rollout of a fix for channel and video notifications.
Samsung is rolling out quite a few updates to its line of devices with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Tab S5e tablet receiving the June 2019 security patch. There is also some love for 2017’s Galaxy Tab Active 2, which is finally getting an update to Android Pie.
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Xiaomi has officially unveiled the follow up to the wildly popular and impressive Xiaomi Mi Band 3 in the form of the Xiaomi Mi Band 4. The device improves over the original in a number of ways, yet still manages to remain at an affordable price.