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.
The UK government is bungling yet another aspect of the pandemic response as it appears Google and Apple have blocked a recent update to the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app over location sharing issues.
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After only launching last week, early adopters are already experiencing some overheating issues with the OnePlus 9 Pro.
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Now that Android Auto has opened up the system to developers, we’re going to see a real explosion in the number of alternate navigation apps, the latest being that of TomTom AmiGo.
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Magisk v22.1 is now available for tinkerers and the true Android enthusiasts wanting “full” control of their tech with the update adding some notable new features – but for those still clinging on to older Android devices, we have some bad news, as Magisk v22.1 will be the very last to support some of the oldest versions available.
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A few weeks ago we found that Google was prepping a new “Heads Up” mode for Digital Wellbeing that helps remind you to pay more attention to your surroundings when staring at your smartphone while walking. That feature now looks as though it is starting to roll out to devices.
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I think I may have jumped the gun in late 2020 by declaring that the OnePlus Nord might offer price-to-performance perfection because clearly, I hadn’t thought about Xiaomi’s efforts in the mid- to-low-end range. If you want a taste of things often reserved for far more exorbitantly priced devices, then the Poco F3 is an absolute steal.
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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.
OnePlus has decided that concept phones are not enough and made the OnePlus Nord LE, which is a special limited-edition-device run of one, and it plans on giving it away.
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With the OnePlus 9 series launch, the new additions were core focus points – but it looks like there have been a few sneaky removals, including that of File Dash from the File manager app in favor of Google’s Nearby Share.
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The ability to record callers in the Google Phone app is a popular addition, but the feature is expanding to include the ability to automatically record all calls from numbers not in your contacts.
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Today’s Google Doodle in the UK is celebrating the 78th birthday of a genuinely legendary rugby league star — Clive Sullivan.
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9to5Google’s Game of the Week is brought to you by GeForce NOW. GeForce NOW Instantly transforms nearly any laptop, desktop, Mac, SHIELD TV, Android device, iPhone, or iPad into the PC gaming rig you’ve always dreamed of. And, every GFN Thursday, new games are added to the GeForce NOW Library.
After playing through several hours of the recently released Outriders, I can honestly say that this is the fusion of Mass Effect, Gears of War, Destiny and — to a certain extent James Cameron’s Avatar — that I didn’t think I needed in my life, but here we are.
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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.
Nokia has unveiled a whopping six new Android-powered smartphones today, as part of the new C, G, and X-series.
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As far as gaming phones go, the brand-new Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 — stupid name — might be one of the weirdest so far.
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With Google Play Music now double dead and even fully disabled on devices in favor of YouTube Music, if you’re simply not a fan of the replacement, you might be looking for some serious audio alternatives.
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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.
Often the two-year period between a device launch and its proposed follow-up brings with it a whole host of changes and improvements. The original Nest Hub — formerly the Home Hub — has now been superseded by the Nest Hub 2nd gen, and it raises questions as to which is right for you.
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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.
OnePlus Pay could be expanding outside of China in the coming months as an Indian trademark filing hints that the payment platform is coming to the region.
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Switching a smartphone is fairly easy in 2021, but the migration of chat history and messages between iOS and Android devices is practically nonexistent in apps like WhatsApp — at least for now.
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OxygenOS 11.2.3.3 is already the second update rolling out for the recently released OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro aimed at improving some of the more problematic areas of the flagship duo — namely the battery and camera performance.
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Even after trawling through almost all aspects of the recent Android 12 Developer Preview, things slip the net. One of those looks to be the long-overdue addition of a Google Lens translate option within the Android recent apps panel.
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After initially removing the compass within Maps on Android way back in early 2019, Google has now restored the much-loved feature after fan pressure.
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