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.
As one of the most popular third-party Android ROMs, LineageOS has become the go-to for tinkerers wanting to extend the lifespan of their older hardware. However, the LineageOS project is set to completely drop Android 9 Pie builds, leaving 24 devices without ongoing support.
Clearly Google wants you to forget about the previous year with a number of brand-new Google Photos Memories collections now rolling out including a sports-focused “Roar of the Crowd,” the beach-focused “Sand and Sea,” and dessert-heavy “Tasty Treats.”
After a series of launch teasers and little information on upcoming product lines, Carl Pei’s flegling technology brand Nothing is now the sole owner of the one-time smartphone brand Essential.
If there are features Android fans are envious of Apple and iOS, the most notable — beyond iMessage — would be AirDrop. However, for Samsung and Windows 10 users, Quick Share might end up providing you a stop-gap solution for wireless file sharing between your smartphone and PC.
After releasing in late 2020 with a slightly outdated Android 10 build, the Microsoft Surface Duo’s Android 11 update looks like it will arrive closer to the full release of the next iteration — Android 12.
The Samsung Galaxy F62 has now officially launched with a frankly gigantic 7,000mAh battery, some impressive internals, and the latest One UI 3.1 update.
Almost a year after their release, the Google Pixel Buds are still one of the best options for those on Android wanting a solid pair of earbuds that compete well with Apple’s own AirPod series.
For auto-scheduling and more, Tasker is the undoubted automation King on Android. With Tasker beta 5.12.0, the most powerful smartphone automation tool is adding native JSON and HTML reading, plus some other neat little tricks.
Although rumored and teased, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has not yet actually launched, but a hands-on video leak has given us a glimpse at what looks like will be an utterly insane Android-powered smartphone.
If you are looking to improve your home media setup and want a streaming stick or dongle, then you’ll no doubt be aware of the Chromecast series of devices, but which is right for you? Let’s simplify with our easy-to-follow Chromecast Buyer’s Guide for 2021.
While question marks and doom do unfortunately surround the cloud gaming platform at the moment, Google will be hoping for big growth after confirming that all new Chromebooks will come with Stadia pre-installed.
YouTube users on iPhone or iPad can again access picture-in-picture mode on all browsers when visiting the video-sharing mobile site when running the recent iOS 14.5 beta.
The upcoming OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro will undoubtedly be a landmark moment for the BBK-owned firm after major changes in 2020. A new leak suggests that the battery capacity of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro will be a pretty sizeable 4,500mAh.
Google Photos “Memories” section is a nice way of surfacing photos and videos that you might have captured, uploaded, and then completely forgotten about. A brand-new collection within Google Photos is now showcasing children-themed Memories called “Out to play.”
After the mobile OS unofficially arrived on the portable console in mid-2019, Android 10 is now on the Nintendo Switch courtesy of another unofficial LineageOS 17.1 port.