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.
In the early days of Android and iOS, there was already another established player on the market — Blackberry. The keyboard flaunting devices have since adopted Android as their primary OS, but before that was the case, they had an ace up their sleeves in the form of BBM.
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The growth of online video streaming services means that services like Plex might not be as popular as they once were but the cost involved means that a central hub for all of your downloaded video is still a neat and tidy one.
Netflix has certified a further 23 devices for full HD playback with the updated list now officially including the Pixel 2, 2XL, 3, 3XL, newly released 3a and 3a XL, alongside the OnePlus 7 Pro, and Huawei P30 Pro.
The Pixel 3a and 3a XL are fantastic devices for the price, and even though it’s made from typically more durable polycarbonate, it can still be prone to damage. That’s why protection is always recommended. For that reason, we’ve collated a few of the best third-party Pixel 3a and 3a XL cases for you to pick up.
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After months and months of tussling with the biggest independent YouTube channel on the site in the form of Pewdiepie, the Indian record label T-Series has now become the first YouTube channel to reach 100 million subscribers.
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We’re quite a way into 2019, which means we need a refresh of the dwindling gaming phone market. Devices — like the Nubia Red Magic 3 — targetted at an even ‘nichier’ niche than the PC gaming market.
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OnePlus can’t be criticized too heavily for not responding to fan complaints and feature requests. The company has confirmed that it is working on the ghost touch issue on the OnePlus 7 Pro and is considering adding Always on Display support for the brand new device among other features.
Samsung has pulled the latest Galaxy S10 software update after a series of serious bugs have caused problems with devices.
MediaTek has unveiled its latest 5G 7-nanometer chipset which could help bring the superfast wireless connectivity to budget handsets globally.
The big 5G revolution is very quietly moving ahead, or so it seems as T-Mobile appears to be conducting tests of its own 5G network in New York City with absolutely zero fanfare.
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We reported a few short days ago that two supposed exclusive OnePlus 7 Pro features were coming to the OnePlus 6/6T via an Oxygen OS Open Beta. Well, OnePlus is now rolling out the update that brings Zen Mode and a native Screen Recorder to the older handsets.
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According to reports in The Korea Herald, the release date for the Samsung Galaxy Fold is set to slip yet again.
Regular commuters and drivers rejoice, as Google Maps has now added speed camera detection and alerts to even more countries.
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One of the biggest complaints about the superb OnePlus 7 Pro has been the lack of out-of-the-box wide-angle camera video recording functionality.
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The Moto Z4 has leaked and leaked but we didn’t see a great deal beyond the rumors and speculation. That is until the upcoming device appeared on Amazon, was made available to purchase, made it into some buyers hands and was then subsequently pulled (via Android Authority).
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For years we have lamented the speed or lack of effort on HTC’s part to update their device lineups. Although a recent update from the company gave us some insight into their update schedule, we are still awaiting across the board updates. That said, it seems the Android Pie rollout for the HTC U11 is now underway.
We’ve had a substantial amount of time now with the OnePlus 7 Pro to formulate a review and gather our thoughts on the flagship killer-come-flagship.
The OnePlus 7 Pro does genuinely offer a step up in the camera department but it appears that the claims of 3x telephoto zoom is not actually 100% true. Digging by /u/ImKuya over on Reddit (via Android Police) has found that the OnePlus 7 Pro telephoto camera only has a 2.2x optical zoom capability.
Android Q is officially heading to OnePlus 5 and 5T devices with no solid ETA being touted by OnePlus.
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A research paper has uncovered a sensor calibration attack that is capable of pulling device data and can track Android and iPhone handsets across the internet almost instantly — without any user interaction or input.
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In a blog post today, Google has confirmed the ability to ‘pay per ride’ from within the Google Pay application for those using New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and London’s Transport for London (TfL).
The removal of the Google Drive $5 yearly subscription plan giving 20GB of cloud storage has some benefits for users already subscribed to the lowest tier of the service. Google has since told users that subscribers will now have the extended storage grandfathered to their existing accounts completely free of charge.
There is no doubt that Google Duplex was the star of the show at I/0 2018. The AI-powered calling assistant was so good, that you could be forgiven for thinking it was all a parlor trick masquerading as real tech. Well, Google has revealed now that Duplex is out in the wild, in many cases it is an actual human that makes your dinner reservations as the AI-caller often needs a little help.
Rumors and reports that WhatsApp would start getting in-app ads have been flying around for some time but now we have explicit confirmation from Facebook that they will be coming to the messaging platform by 2020.