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.
Google Maps on Android should be the “main” iteration of the navigation app but like many Google applications, features bleed through to iOS first, then come to Android later. The latest such change is that of new vehicle icons, that have now very quietly been added to the Android version of Google Maps.
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OnePlus knows how to crank up the fan hype right ahead of launch, but even they can’t prevent leaks. The latest is a couple of real-life images of the OnePlus 8T laid bare, which actually show us very little we didn’t already know.
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It’s hard not to be tough on Wear OS and feel guilty, but the advent of new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear chipsets really does hint at a bright future for the platform — and the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 helps prove that.
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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 Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
The incremental OxygenOS 10.3.6 update is now rolling out for the OnePlus 6 and 6T with the highlight addition being that of the September 2020 security patch.
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The OnePlus Gallery version 4.0.77 update is now rolling out via the Google Play Store and brings with it the OxygenOS 11 UI overhaul and design to devices without said update.
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Even with injunctions and trade restrictions, Huawei is planning on launching it’s latest flagship – the Mate 40 Pro – on October 22.
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Late last year, OnePlus made their intriguing mindfulness-focused Zen Mode app a standalone option for those with compatible hardware. With OxygenOS 11, the Zen Mode 2.0 app was overhauled with the rest of the system UI but it was incompatible with older OnePlus hardware running Android 10 or below.
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The OxygenOS 11 stable update is now rolling out for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro after a series of developer previews and betas.
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Even with modest internals and one configuration available, the Pixel 5 pre-orders are now completely “out of stock” on the Google Store in the UK, Ireland, and Germany ahead of an October 15 launch.
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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 Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
The Pixel 3a and 3a XL may have been superseded by the Pixel 4a — and recently released 4a 5G — but that doesn’t mean they are not great devices. While they still offer a “premium” Pixel experience at a lower cost, it looks as though some Pixel 3a and 3a XL owners are having issues upgrading from Android Pie to the newly released Android 11.
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Microsoft’s Outlook for Android is a really surprisingly good email client that in some ways, is actually better than Gmail. Now though, Outlook for Android has added the ability to sync calendars with the dedicated Google and Samsung calendar apps — making it even more enticing.
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Samsung is tackling the budget market in India yet again with the release of the Galaxy F41, which comes with some notable hardware and an enticing price.
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OnePlus’ marketing strategy seems to be “leak everything ourselves so that launch day becomes pretty much redundant” at this stage. Some things do crop up ahead of keynotes, and a freshly leaked press render gives us a glimpse at the upcoming OnePlus 8T colors.
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Samsung has expanded its growing lineup of 5G-enabled smartphones by announcing the Galaxy A42 5G, alongside a brand new Galaxy Tab A7, Galaxy Fit2 fitness band, and an AirPower-like Trio wireless charger.
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Google has already pushed the full Android 11 update to Pixel devices, with some OEMs already running their own beta phases. As one of the main Android One players, Nokia has now officially confirmed the Android 11 roadmap for their entire lineup.
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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 Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
As with any Pixel announcement — including the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 — there was a clamor for new features and additions. Despite the Launch Night In unveiling, there haven’t been many devices out in the wild for people to sink their teeth into. However, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G look like they could ship with some more new wallpapers to the table courtesy of the Google Wallpapers application.
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As the world’s biggest video-sharing platform, YouTube goes through almost constant transformation with tweaks, adjustments, and overhauls on an almost yearly basis. The latest looks to be iOS-style line icons within all YouTube menus, sub-menus, sections, and even in the player window.
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There are a wealth of third-party Android launchers on the Google Play Store but one of the most unique, Blloc’s Ratio launcher has now left beta and is available to all on the Google 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 Google Play, iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Pocket Casts and other podcast players.
Has it only been six months since the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro were unveiled during an online launch event? Time flies, rumors spread, and on top of that, we’re due a OnePlus 8T.
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Google’s experiments with AR are continuing with the Arts & Culture app, which is now letting you apply an “Art Filter” to become classic artwork using the power of augmented reality.
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