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.
After waiting what felt like ages, Android 12 has arrived with a literal mountain of changes, tweaks, and tuning to sink your teeth into. We’ve whittled or distilled our deep dive down to a selection of 20 of the best features added in Android 12 — features we think you’ll really love right away.
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OxygenOS 11.0.9.9 based upon Android 11 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro with the October 2021 security patch and also adds the Files by Google app.
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We’ve had some time to dive deep into the Android 12 Previews and Android 12 Betas over the past few months. Now that the stable release has dropped and is available on Pixel hardware, we’re going to dig even deeper and share every new feature and change we’ve found in Android 12 — the biggest overhaul to the world’s most popular mobile OS.
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During the online-only Pixel Fall Launch keynote, there were a number of important announcements, including the long-awaited Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Here’s everything Google detailed during the live stream.
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The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro offer the biggest leap in camera prowess in the history of the series and complementing the still’s capabilities are some exclusive video features and functions.
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As part of any smartphone launch, you have to expect a wave of official cases — and the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are absolutely no different in that regard.
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At long last the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have been launched, are ready for pre-order and we’ve been unboxing the duo so you know just what to expect.
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Google is yet to even officially launch the Pixel 6, and now we’re getting an early unboxing of the Sorta Seafoam model ahead of the October 19 keynote.
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With just over 24 hours until Google officially kicks off the Pixel Fall Launch event, we now know just what 9to5Google readers are most excited for. Spoiler: You can probably guess.
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Third-party messaging client Telegram has now joined an exclusive and limited club after surpassing the 1 billion download figure over on the Google Play Store.
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After launching a “vanilla” version earlier this year, OnePlus has now unveiled a limited-edition Harry Potter watch.
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The Pixel Fall Launch isn’t just reserved for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. In fact, we’re going to see an added selection of products, services, and even a little software added to the Made by Google lineup. Here’s what to expect:
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Did you know that Google’s upcoming Pixel Fall Launch event will include more than just smartphone announcements? Yes, we’re going to see some other stuff too!
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The explosion of Chrome OS over the past 18 to 20 months and at-home working similarly expanding unlike ever before, it’s refreshing to know that you don’t need to deal with cheap, underpowered Windows laptops or PCs to get actual work done. A case in point is the excellent Acer Chromebook Spin 713.
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Fresh off the launch of the Nothing ear(1) Bluetooth earbuds, Carl Pei’s startup has now confirmed a strategic partnership with US chipmaker Qualcomm.
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After the confirmation of encrypted chat backups, WhatsApp has now turned attention to the size of device backups according to the latest beta update for Android.
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OnePlus looks to be working on yet another limited-edition device – this time a Pac-Man-themed version of the affordable Nord 2.
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Back when Android 11 launched for OnePlus devices we thought that fans would be annoyed. Well, expect that frustration to evolve into outright fury with OxygenOS 12.0.
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With the Pixel series, up until now, we’ve relied on a capacitive fingerprint scanner save 2019, where Face Unlock was briefly added to the mix. Because the Pixel 6 is set to include software-based Face Unlock and an in-display fingerprint scanner, we wanted to know just what biometric security you prefer on your device.
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Security updates are designed to keep Android devices as secure as possible, but you’re only as safe as your latest update. OnePlus does promise regular updates for its smartphones for at least two years, so let’s see how they’re handling the September 2021 security update.
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When browsing the YouTube Music homepage on mobile and desktop, you may soon see a “From the community” section that surfaces user-generated playlists rather than the personally or automatically generated collections.
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The very latest YouTube UI test or experiment is rolling out visual indicators for the most viewed portion of a video above the playback progress bar on mobile and desktop.
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After being hinted at and after testing in previous beta builds, WhatsApp has confirmed that end-to-end encryption for cloud backups is set to roll out soon.
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This year, leaks and tidbits haven’t been quite as prominent ahead of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro launch, but there have been plenty of rumors.
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