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.
A long time after the last update rolled out for the 2017 flagship duo, OxygenOS 10.0.1 is now available for the OnePlus 5 and 5T with some pretty notable new additions.
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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.
It was unceremoniously dumped on the latest Pixel 5, and Face Unlock on the Pixel 4 series hasn’t had the smoothest existence for many owners, either. Complaints over Pixel 4 Face Unlock issues have surfaced yet again.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic has sort of forced many people into staying home, it looks as though Google is leveraging people power to help populate Google Maps’ awesome Street View feature with a new “Driving Mode.”
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Even without being a forced install on all Android devices, the standalone Google One app has now hit the impressive 100 million download milestone 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.
In a bid to clear stock, the Google Store in the UK is offering substantial discounts on the last-gen Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 series with unique promo codes for both devices.
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As a way to control your Android device from your PC, the Microsoft Your Phone app is a really awesome added tool that Windows 10 users should be taking advantage of. And thanks to a recent update, those with selected Samsung Galaxy devices can now run multiple apps when using Your Phone on their PC.
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LineageOS 17.1 support is now coming to a small selection of older hardware including the OnePlus 5/5T, the Fairphone 3, and the LTE variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e.
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It looks as though the Nokia license is set to come to further products, as a firm appears set to bring a Nokia-branded Android TV set-top box to Europe.
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OxygenOS 11.0.1.1 is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro with the update bringing the slightly overdue October 2020 security patch, plus quite a few more tweaks and fixes on top.
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Today’s Google Doodle in the UK celebrates the 140th birthday of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect and designer of one of Britain’s most iconic street symbols — the red phone box.
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Despite the incredibly flawed and confusing nature of ranking cameras using a point-based system, the Google Pixel 5 has achieved a 120-point score from the defacto industry camera experts DxOMark — an 8-point bump over the Pixel 4 according to the French firm’s ranking system.
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The Nokia 8.3 5G is a reasonably solid device that is massively let down by its release timing. Announced in March 2020, had it hit the market then, it would have been a far more enticing smartphone.
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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.
Xiaomi has added yet another device to their growing lineup of affordable set-top boxes with the addition of the Mi Box 4S Pro.
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Motorola’s recent resurgence is partly down to a number of reasonably solid hardware and competitive pricing. The latest addition officially announced is that of the Moto G9 Power, which comes with modest internals but a whopping 6,000mAh battery.
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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 Huawei Mate 40 Pro has been released into a very different landscape to that of its predecessor, the Mate 30 Pro. Restrictions have tightened, but that hasn’t dulled the Chinese firm’s enthusiasm for flagship smartphone releases.
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Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy W21 5G in China as a slightly larger region-exclusive alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold2.
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OnePlus is going hard with the software updates on the 8T, as OxygenOS 11.0.3.4 is now rolling out for the latest device — making it the second update in the space of two weeks.
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The latest WhatsApp beta hints at new Snapchat-like disappearing messages within individual chats and group chats.
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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 regular Galaxy S series release cycle is set for a shakeup in 2021, as an earlier launch date is now proposed for the upcoming Galaxy S21 series.
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