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.
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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The bane of any YouTube channel is undoubtedly the sheer volume of inane and toxic comments you’ll receive, no matter your channel size or reach.
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Like pretty much every Google-owned platform, YouTube is home to plenty of end-user experiments and beta tests. However, it looks as though YouTube experiments will now only be available to YouTube Premium members moving forward.
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While sustainable smartphones are not technically new, there is a distinct lack of devices that aim to help curb our carbon footprint. The Teracube 2E is the latest smartphone to try and appeal to the environmentally conscious tech consumer with an affordable twist.
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After initially coming to the popular automation app Tasker in beta, the stable version 5.10.1 now includes full support for Android 11’s new Power Menu actions.
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The affordable Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro have now reached European shores after launching officially in India just last month — giving yet more interesting options for the savvy smartphone shopper.
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To help celebrate its 10th birthday, Instagram has added all of its classic icons within a secret menu that lets you revert to some of the classic app icons of yesteryear.
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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.
Bad — but not quite terrible — news for those still hanging on to the Galaxy Note 8, as the curtains have been drawn on regular monthly updates. It’s moved to a quarterly update path.
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The Poco C3 has officially launched in India as the most affordable phone from the Xiaomi sub brand with an eerily similar look to the Xiaomi Redmi 9C.
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As a way to provide some of Google’s AI photography prowess to low-end smartphones, Google Camera Go has been a fantastic addition to the likes of the Nokia 1.3. While there are options for Portrait Mode and other effects, Google Camera Go is now set to add a dedicated Night Mode for enhanced low-light photography on low-end hardware.
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We’ve already done a deep dive into all of the biggest user-facing changes in Android 11, but there are some really underrated features that deserve some recognition.
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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.
Google is set to create a new Android security team to help ensure that apps on the Play Store that handle sensitive data do not have bugs or security flaws.
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Despite being announced way back in September 2018, the Android-powered Zeiss ZX1 camera looks as though it is now available for pre-order with an eye-watering $6,000 price tag.
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