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.
Android 12 might be the biggest update to the OS for some time, and it appears it has had a knock-on effect with issues and problems cementing a rocky start to life for the update. A prominent issue that some have encountered is an audio bug in Google Duo, which luckily is set to be resolved soon.
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After a week of teasing throughout CES 2022, the OnePlus 10 Pro has now been unveiled as it officially launches in China.
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Alongside the Pixel 6 series, Google unveiled an updated wireless charger designed for use with the latest smartphone series. A delayed launch meant that the Pixel Stand 2nd Gen was not available until a month after the release of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.
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The Pixel Launcher’s popular “At a Glance” widget was overhauled with the Android 12 update, but it’s now gaining even more new features including doorbell camera previews, while a potential settings redesign hints at the addition of flashlight activation reminders and more.
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Gmail for Android has hit a pretty huge milestone after surpassing the 10 billion download milestone on the Google Play Store.
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Unfortunately, the December 2021 update for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro caused some notable issues, but you may have updated before the update was pulled. Because of the signal issues and other problems, you might want to downgrade your Pixel 6 from the December 2021 update to the November 2021 patch – at least until problems are resolved in the coming weeks.
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You may have the most organized Android home screen with rows of apps and folders propagating across your display. However, thanks to a series of Android shortcuts, you can quickly get access to all manner of sections, apps, and utilities with the help of some simple home screen widgets.
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YouTube on smart TVs is gaining a simple mobile sign-in feature to help improve the account linking process and, in turn, reduce the stress of adding your details to selected devices. The video streaming service also appears to be adding a “Repeat” video toggle for Android TV, games consoles, and other platforms.
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It’s not often we talk about two devices over the age of 10 in one week, but after seeing an Android 12 ROM arrive for the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy S2 is now joining the party.
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In typical OnePlus fashion, the brand that “Never Settles” is teasing its upcoming flagship with a list of specs confirming much of what we expected from the OnePlus 10 series.
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After skipping the Google Pixel 4 and 5 series, Whitestone Dome has launched a line of tempered glass screen protectors for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
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We laud the efforts made by OEMs to keep devices updated for up to three or four years, but praise must be lavished upon a developer who has managed to boot Android 12 to the 10-year old Samsung Galaxy S3.
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OxygenOS 11.0.10.10 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro without Android 12 but with a host of fixes for the former flagship duo alongside the December 2021 security patch.
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While many people have experienced zero issues on their devices with the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 update, it seems that Samsung has halted the rollout to fix some lingering issues.
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OxygenOS 11.0.5.1 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series with the December 2021 security patch and an important bug fix.
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After skipping the OnePlus 9T this year in global markets, the OnePlus 10 series means that hopefully, we’ll see more upgrades and a great leap forward over the previous generation. With that in mind, this is everything we know about the upcoming smartphones.
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The list of devices touting the newly unveiled Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is gaining a new inductee as the Xiaomi 12 is set to launch next week in China.
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The world of affordable Android tablets is one fraught with problematic performance and poor build quality. That isn’t often a problem when all you want is a video viewing machine, but while the Nokia T20 tablet is firmly at the affordable end of the spectrum, it’s a solid option.
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Vivaldi has now officially launched the first full-featured web browser for the Android Automotive platform and is available now on the Polestar 2.
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Realme has confirmed the official Chinese launch date of its upcoming flagship the Realme GT 2 Pro as January 4.
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As one of the most popular third-party custom recovery tools, TWRP is an essential tool for some Android owners and tinkerers. TWRP has now added support for several devices including the Xiaomi Mi 11 series, the OnePlus 7T series, and more.
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Google is celebrating the official start of the Winter season with an animated Doodle visible to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
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In the cloud gaming space, Nvidia’s RTX 3080 tier for GeForce Now reigns supreme, and should you have the Pixel 6 Pro, you’re now able to enjoy 120fps streaming via the service.
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