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.
Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
Xiaomi’s recent surge to second in the global smartphone manufacturer charts has been built upon the back of devices such as the 11T Pro and Mi 11 Ultra — but which is the better device?
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Xiaomi has now officially unveiled the 11T Pro and 11 Lite 5G NE, which continues the Mi 11 series without the “Mi” branding.
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Based upon Android 11, custom ROM LineageOS 18.1 has added support for more devices including the ASUS ZenFone 8.
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YouTube for Android and iOS is now testing instant comment translations for comments, provided you have a Premium subscription plan.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
Sustainable smartphones are few and far between, but after discontinuing the Fairphone 3, a new leak is giving us a glimpse at the follow-up Fairphone 4 in renders with some of the proposed specifications.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
The hype train for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is really starting to gain momentum as Google kicks the marketing team into gear for what will be the biggest campaign in the history of the smartphone series. A soft series reboot and a host of new features means the Pixel 6 will be highly anticipated — at least by fans.
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Foldable smartphones are starting to build up a head of steam, and with a new form factor there are bound to be some teething problems. Luckily, apps like the popular third-party launch Niagara are now slowly adding support for foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series with the v1.4 beta.
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It appears that for many people out there, the scheduled alarms feature on the Google Clock app is flat-out broken with the bug preventing preset alarms from going off. On the back of this issue, the Play Store listing has now seen a deluge of 1-star ratings from disgruntled users.
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YouTube is set to slash the subscriber count requirement needed to access and make Community posts on creators’ channels to just 500 from October 12.
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MediaTek has added the Kompanio 900T to its growing lineup of chipsets designed for tablets, laptops, and Chromebooks.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify,Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
The Pixel 6 promises so much that there is the distinct possibility that we could be let down by the soft reboot of the series. With Android 12 similarly offering a massive overhaul alongside the Pixel 6 launch, we want to know what feature you’re most excited by.
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Ahead of the release of the Xiaomi 11T Pro and 11T, the Chinese firm is promising extended support for the upcoming duo with three years of OS updates and a further year of regular security patches.
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The long road to a stable Android 12 release is punctuated by the preview phase and the very latest is Beta 5. An already stacked OS is getting yet more tweaks and refinements before it’s ready for the public, and so we’ve been delving into Android 12 Beta 5 to find all the new features and functions.
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After being spotted in progress with previous releases, the universal device search is now live in Android 12 Beta 5 within the Pixel Launcher app drawer.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify,Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
The age of over-the-air wireless charging could soon be upon us as Motorola has demoed their second-generation wireless “Space Charging” system that can charge up to four devices simultaneously.
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After finally adding the ability to migrate your WhatsApp chats from iOS to Android, the Facebook-owned firm looks like it will soon add the ability to transfer chats in the other direction — from Android to iOS.
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Already running the cleanest version of Android 11 and with Android 12 on the horizon, the first custom ROM is now available for the Pixel 5a if you like to tinker with your device.
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We wondered if there would be any changes on Pixel 5a with 5G over the Pixel 4a 5G, when both devices share such tightly knit DNA? We’re here to examine the nuances, differences, and help decipher what has changed — and what hasn’t.
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Listen to a short-form recap or roundup of all the top 9to5Google stories of the previous 24 hours. 9to5Google Daily is available on Spotify,Google Podcasts, Amazon, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.