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.
OxygenOS 11.0.6.6 and 11.0.8.12 are now rolling out for the OnePlus 8/8 Pro and OnePlus 8T respectively and bringing the May 2021 security patch to the stable update channel.
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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.
Google and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the UK have launched a new Career Certificates initiative to help citizens grow their digital skills.
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Xiaomi looks set to be removed from the controversial US trade blacklist after the US Department of Defense deemed the move “appropriate.”
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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.
As an added gift, OnePlus is now giving away a free Stadia Premiere edition controller and Chromecast Ultra with all purchases of the 8T, Nord, and OnePlus 9/9 Pro in select European regions.
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Microsoft has confirmed the rollout of an update to the Xbox Game Pass app specifically aimed at the Surface Duo that will effectively turn the dual-screen foldable into a portable Xbox console.
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Samsung appears to have jumped the gun and launched the Galaxy Tab S7 FE ahead of schedule and effectively confirmed just what we can expect once the tablet “officially” arrives — likely in the coming weeks.
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So we have covered the main bases of the Android 12 Beta 1 build, including letting you know what we think are some of the “best” or “top” features. However, there are remnants of what might be coming in future beta builds, and so we have been delving in further to unearth yet more new features.
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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.
After big announcements for Wear OS at Google I/O 2021, the mobile platform could be set for a big 18 months. Because Google announced some big things, including a merging of Samsung’s Tizen OS, we asked you — our readers — if you are now more inclined to buy a Wear OS watch or not.
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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.
Clubhouse is now officially available in beta on Android, but for now, it remains US-only ahead of a wider global launch and release.
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Even with privacy concerns and threats of a mass user exodus, WhatsApp remains atop the global mobile messaging totem. Work on a potential chat history migration feature between your current and a new phone number might help WhatsApp maintain mobile dominance even with contest from the likes of Telegram and Signal.
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After a long wait, Microsoft Office for Android now has an eye-saving dark mode, which is likely to be welcomed by those not already using Google Docs.
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All aboard the hype train for the Pixel 6 series as yet more renders, this time of the smaller device, have now come from one of the most credible sources on the web, which allows us to discern some major differences between the two proposed late-2021 Made by Google phones.
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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.
Wear OS might not be in the strong position that makes it a go-to for Android owners, but there is a lot to love and plenty to be disappointed in if you do end up buying a smartwatch running on Google’s platform – or already own one.
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OxygenOS Open Beta 10 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro with plenty of improvements, a couple of new features, and the May 2021 security patch.
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The Poco M3 Pro 5G has now officially been unveiled with the affordable Android device touting some impressive baseline specifications and a very enticing entry pricing structure.
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Designed specifically for low-end hardware as an alternative gallery app, Gallery Go leverages some of the best Google Photos, and it’s proving popular, having surged to the 100 million download milestone over on the Play Store.
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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.
Renders of the as-yet-unannounced Galaxy Tab A7 Lite have been shared online, giving us a glimpse at the budget Android tablet for the first time.
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Google I/O 2021 signals the very start of the proper user-facing Android 12 Beta 1 update, which means we’ve been spending time delving in to find some of the top new features.
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