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.
For Android tinkerers and those still entrenched in the “true” customizability of ROMs, there are few root solutions that match Magisk and Magisk Manager. To coincide with the wider rollout of Android 11, Developer topjohnwu has now released Magisk v21 and Magisk Manager 8.0.
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The OxygenOS 10.0.8 and 10.3.5 updates are now rolling out for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro with a couple of important fixes and the September 2020 security patch in tow.
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Teachers’ Day is a special celebration that varies from country to country but for millions of global teachers, that day is often October 5th. To mark the annual appreciation of our educators Google has re-released a special Doodle to honor their contribution to current and future generations.
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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.
YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode now looks as though it is supported again on Apple devices — even those without a Premium subscription — thanks to the latest iOS 14.0.1 update.
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One of the best new features to come with the Android 11 update has to be the quick power menu smart home controls and toggles. Not many services yet support the quick toggles but for those with the Xiaomi Mi Home app you should be able to take advantage of toggles within the Android 11 power menu.
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Gboard for Android has added some neat — and highly requested — features to the popular mobile keyboard. The latest addition hints that Google wants us using more emoji as the spelling or word suggestion bar now manages to cram in extra icons in the latest Gboard release.
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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.
Unlike previous years’ Made by Google launch events, the Mountain View tech giant treated us to the very first “Launch Night In” — a livestream announcement of all of their latest and greatest hardware. There was a lot to talk about so we’ve decided to recap all of the Launch Night In additions to help streamline your thought process.
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OnePlus has pumped out another patch for the OnePlus Nord, this time in the form of the incremental OxygenOS 10.5.8 OTA.
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To mark the start of Black History Month in the UK, today’s Google Doodle celebrates the life of the extraordinary Black British composer, abolitionist, and cultural icon Ignatius Sancho.
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The Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G and wider Reno 4 series has now officially launched as a step-up over the previous models with 5G being the core addition to the updated handset.
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A brand new Google Pixel means yet more playful wallpapers are coming your way when you get your hands on one of the latest devices. However, we’ve got an early sneak peek at the Pixel 5 wallpapers that you can download and adorn on your device right now.
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As part of any smartphone launch in 2020, you have to expect a wave of official cases — and the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 are absolutely no different in that regard.
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The time has come to kick back and enjoy the brand new Made by Google cohort. To celebrate the first-ever “Launch Night In,” Google sent out some special surprise kits to select media and influencers. But just what comes inside? How about we unbox the special Chromecast kit and go hands-on.
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After speculation, leaks, tidbits, and rumors, Google has now officially launched the Pixel 4a 5G during the online “Launch Night In” keynote.
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The Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 were widely expected to be the first Android devices to come with Android 11 pre-installed. However, the Vivo V20 series has beaten Google to the punch coming with Android 11 right out of the box.
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Xiaomi has lifted the lid on it’s latest flagship pairing of the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro, devices that appear to pack a serious punch.
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After praising Samsung for the recent speedy One UI 2.5 updates hitting devices, it appears that this OS update is causing some photo-related issues. It looks like the enhanced Motion Photos added in Samsung’s latest OTA are being uploaded as still images to Google Photos.
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Google Duo usage has no doubt skyrocketed thanks to a global pandemic changing the way we communicate, but with a UI refresh late last year we lost a neat “camera off” toggle. Despite being M.I.A for some months, it looks like the option might be returning for some users.
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Xiaomi has now quietly launched the Mi Smart Smart Speaker in India — its first-ever Google Assistant-powered smart speaker.
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Ahead of the eventual shuttering of Google Play Music next month, the desktop Music Manager application is now beginning to shut down ahead of a drawn-out conclusion for the music streaming service.
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As we await the release of Google’s first Android TV-powered Chromecast device, it’s still worth noting that there are plenty of great quality, affordable options out there. One such affordable option — the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 — is now finally getting an update to Android Pie.
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The late-2020 gaming rush is now upon us, which means the gaming release schedule is now really heating up ahead of the busy holiday period. September 2020 has seen a major rival come from Amazon and yet more incremental updates and improvements to Stadia, while more important games have hit the service too!
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