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.
Adobe has officially announced their latest mobile-targeted video editing software called Premiere Rush CC, which is now available on desktop and iOS devices, with Android support expected in 2019. A stripped down version of the bigger Adobe Premiere Pro, this software is clearly targeted at YouTube creators or those who create content for social media.
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The OnePlus 6T is set to be announced at an official launch event on the 30th October in New York but that hasn’t stopped the leaks, with even the company themselves confirming a series of key features (or removal of them) prior to the unveiling. Let’s delve into all the facts we have ahead of the unveiling later this month for a true OnePlus 6T rumor roundup.
If you saw our coverage of the Google Home Hub, one of the standout features — including the hardware itself — was the new Home View dashboard. This simplified home control system has now found its way to the Google Home app on mobile with the entire Home app receiving a complete visual overhaul as well.
The Google Home Hub is Google’s very first attempt at a Smart Display and fuses the powerful functionality of the Google Home with a display for yet more use-cases. We’ve already seen a few Smart Displays from brands such as JBL and Lenovo, but unlike those options, Google’s first party design follows the design language of pre-existing Home devices and actually looks like something you would want in your home.
The updated Chromecast might not seem like much of a improvement over the second generation model released in 2015, but a refreshed look, stronger WiFi connection and 1080p 60FPS — no 4K — streaming make for a pretty decent upgrade all things considered.
Samsung has officially put to bed the rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018). The mid-range device was officially announced today confirmed that there will be four, yes four, rear cameras.
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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.