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.
With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL including wireless charging for the first time, the addition of the Google Pixel Stand as a first party charging accessory means that Google have done what Apple could not by providing an official solution that actually adds a layer of extra functionality.
The Google Pixel Slate — being the first Chrome OS-powered tablet — was one of the stars of the show at the Google launch event. The touchscreen device takes the lessons learned from the Pixel C in 2014 and Google’s recent hardware experiences and fuses them into a standout flagship tablet device running Chrome OS for the first time.
So we’ve finally got our hands on the mythical (well, not so mythical) Google Pixel 3 devices after the official announcement yesterday. We’ve seen so much information about these — especially the 3XL — models already, that this has felt like an exercise in checking our pre-made lists. There wasn’t a whole host to be majorly surprised by, but it was great to finally get these devices in hand for myself.
As of today, the expanded version of Google Safety Center will now be available in six European countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. More countries and languages will be available in the coming weeks.
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So the Nokia 7.1 was announced at a London event on the 4th of October, with yours truly heading to the showcase to directly check out exactly what this mid-range device has to offer. And my initial impression is that this smartphone actually surprised me a decent amount.
We already did a written comprehensive roundup on everything you should expect to see Google announce at its forthcoming October 9th Pixel 3 event next week, but now we’ve compiled everything we know into one easily-digestible video. Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL, Google Home Hub, Google Pixel Slate, and more…
The latest in the Motorola G-series smartphone series, the Moto G7 has surfaced in full 360-degree CAD-based renders showing that this model will indeed sport a notched 18:9 display.
Nokia’s upper-midrange device the Nokia 7.1 was officially announced today at a London launch event. Somewhat expectedly, the device follows the design language of the previous Nokia 8 models, but with a typical 2018 notch, Android One, and an affordable price tag in tow. Here’s everything you need to know.
Voice Access is now out of beta with the accessibility service allowing you to control your Android device without touching the display. Available on the Google Play Store, it should give millions around the globe the ability to get more from their smart devices.
We’re mere days away from Google’s big hardware announcements and with the potential Pixel Watch likely not making an appearance, the launch of the latest version of Wear OS might just ease a few woes. This update is available on a wide array of smartwatches and will roll out fully over the coming weeks. Wear OS 2.1 introduces more clear and concise swipe gestures for more intuitive navigation and watch app management.
We’ve caught our first look at the Sony Xperia XA3. Fresh on the heels of the Xperia XA2 and XA2, it appears that the XA3 will bring trimmed top and bottom bezels for the first time on a mid-range Sony smartphone.
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According to a European Samsung forum moderator, the company is working on a wire-free solution for their Samsung DeX Experience system. This might help increase uptake as, at the moment, Samsung devices that support the feature need either a DeX docking station or USB Type-C dongle — only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
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Google has recently acquired Onward, an AI-powered chatbot startup that creates a range of automated customer service and sales tools for business usage.
Android and iOS take plenty of features, functions and design cues from one another, so it stands to reason that we should take a look at the Apple side of things every once in a while to understand why people choose the iPhone as their main device. The latest and greatest in the iPhone lineup is the iPhone XS Max, so let’s take a brief look before Google announces its latest next week…
OnePlus CEO and co-founder, Pete Lau, sat down with CNET to discuss why the company decided to remove the headphone jack in favor of an in-display fingerprint reader on the next OnePlus model — the 6T.
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Let’s pit the one of the very best that the Android side has to offer with the best of the iOS bunch to see which is worthy to sit atop the smartphone camera summit. With both the iPhone XS Max and Note 9 having eerily similar entry price points, for the camera conscious, how do they compare?
Motorola has gone through a shift in priorities since being taken over by Lenovo, but that hasn’t stopped their popular budget lines from getting steady improvements before, during, and after this transition process. The lynchpin of their entire budget line, the Moto E5 — Standard, Play and Plus — play a pivotal role in the Android ecosystem thanks, in part, to their sheer affordability…
The Huawei Y9 is one of a number of devices from the Chinese brand that is aimed directly at the more affordable end of the market. There are definitely some compromises that help this phone get into wallet-friendly territory, but overall it’s a pretty decent option for an Android phone under $250.
A decent speaker and smart display combination might not have been top of many shopping lists before, but the Link View could be the showstopping addition to your automated home that you didn’t realize you were without. As I’ll explain in this review, it fuses quality sound with the power of Google Assistant and a second screen to make the best example of the new platform so far…
OnePlus 6 users can now get a piece of Android Pie thanks to the first open beta — which is available to all users simply by downloading the beta installation files. But first, let’s take a look at the host of new features, tweaks and updates this beta brings to users of the “flagship killer” phone…
The Note 8 proved to be great return to form for one of Samsung’s best-loved productivity-focused lines. Yes, it was let down in a few areas — battery life being the main sore point — but the camera was most definitely not one of those. Is a camera improvement alone enough to justify an upgrade? Probably not, but if it were, is the camera exponentially better on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs the Samsung Galaxy Note 8?
You’ve spent over $1,000 on the Note 9, so you’ll probably want to prevent any harm coming to it. The official case lineup has improved more than ever, but they are a little bit pricey. Let’s work out if they are worth your hard earned money and I’ll give you some cheaper alternatives if you don’t quite feel like paying a premium for a good-quality case.
For years, consumers have complained, derided and disowned brands for not listening to their input. For years, we have chastised decisions to remove ports, adjust materials, reduce access and increase the costs associated. For years, we have criticized companies for not pushing the envelope and simply falling in line. But lately there has been one brand within the Android space that finally seems to be taking note of this user input: Samsung.
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Yet more announcements from IFA arrive on our lap, with Huawei announcing its mid-range Mate 20 Lite sometime before the official Mate 20 announcement — which is set to be revealed this October. This relatively affordable entry-level device will go on sale for £379 this September in the UK and selected European markets.
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