8 things to expect at Google I/O 2019

On Tuesday, Google will kick off its annual I/O developer conference with a keynote led by CEO Sundar Pichai and other executives from the company. This is where Google outlines the many features and improvements coming to Android, Google Assistant, and many other of the company’s apps and services over the next year.

This year will feel a bit different because Google is all but guaranteed to announce two new Pixel smartphones during the I/O presentation, adding a lower-cost option smack dab in the middle of the typical smartphone refresh cycle. You can still expect to hear a ton about AI advancements, machine learning, and, yes, even good old search over the course of the keynote. Here’s a preview of what’s likely to get time on…

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supports Big Tech breakup plan laid out by Elizabeth Warren

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has signed on to a plan to break up major tech platforms, as reported by Politico in its Morning Tech newsletter.

Ocasio-Cortez was endorsing a policy previously laid out by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), arguing that because Amazon operates as both a marketplace and the seller of its own products, it has become “an antitrust issue.” Ocasio-Cortez said Facebook should be broken up for similar reasons.

“Facebook as a basic communications platform while also selling ads and also being a surveillance platform,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Those functions should be broken up, but how that gets levied and how that gets approached is what we need to take a fine-tooth comb at.”

Earlier this year, Warren proposed…

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DeWanda Wise: She’s Gotta Have WHAT!?!

DeWanda Wise appears on Ask Me Another at the Bell House in Brooklyn, New York.

DeWanda Wise, the star of She’s Gotta Have It and the new Twilight Zone reboot, recalls how a high school teacher pushed her towards acting as a way to stay out of detention.

(Image credit: Mike Katzif/NPR)

Taye Diggs: Your Grandma’s Favorite

Taye Diggs appears on Ask Me Another at the Bell House in Brooklyn, New York.

Actor Taye Diggs reflects on How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Hedwig on Broadway, and portraying a football coach. Then he plays a game of This, That or the Other with DeWanda Wise.

(Image credit: Mike Katzif/NPR)

Spotify tests interactive ads that listen for your voice

Spotify is testing ads that listeners can interact with using their voices, reports TechCrunch. The idea is that when a user hears a voice-controlled ad, they can say “play now” and be taken to a piece of relevant content. Two ads are currently being used with the new functionality: one for Unilever’s Axe products and another for a Spotify podcast called Stay Free: The Story of the Clash.

If you say the key phrase during either ad, you’ll be taken directly to the podcast being advertised or to an Axe-branded playlist, respectively. Spotify says your phone’s microphone will only be active for the duration of the ad, and it will deactivate early if you say anything other than “play now.”

At the moment, Spotify is testing the…

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Keanu Reeves Used This Workout To Get Into Killer Shape for ‘John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum’

Keanu Reeves is ready to Wick you up

The older he gets, the more people are interested in just how the hell Keanu Reeves does it all. The John Wick star is 54. He looks like he’s still in his 30s and he does all his own stunt work—even though the fact he’s been injured many times is well-known. 

Truth is, in this look at the workout Reeves used to get in shape for John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum, it’s obvious that even if the actor isn’t concerned about how much punishment his body takes, his L.A.-based trainer Patrick Murphy definitely is. Watch the video below to see how Murphy keeps the needs of an aging body in mind in developing this high-volume but low-impact workout routine.

Men’s Health spoke to Murphy for more details on the thinking behind this taxing workout.

“Playing that role is very hard on his body,” Murphy said in a call with Men’s Health discussing the John Wick workout regimen after shooting a video at HVY Industry. The key to the program was building up Reeves’ muscular endurance without overtaxing his body.

Murphy’s philosophy is to create the safest environment for his clients with high-benefit, low-risk exercise programming. “He wasn’t lifting crazy heavy weights—it was getting his body moving, getting his muscular endurance and stability—it was just a mindset,” Murphy said. “He would leave the gym exhausted, but feeling great. Where his body got beat up was in all those scenes [filming the movie].

“The program called for a high-volume routine with low-impact exercises and limited rest. “I would fit in, within the hour and a half, five to six circuits,” he said. “Just think of Keanu Reeves performing a thousand reps a workout, minimal rest, and it was just go time.”

If there’s a trick to understanding this routine so you can set aside any doubts about it dealing with lighter weights, it’s realizing it is constructed specifically to build muscle and stamina while minimizing joint stress—it could work for anyone of just about any age. 

Per Men’s Health, here it is in writing:

Keanu Reeves’ John Wick Workout

Exercises are performed circuit-style, 20 reps each. Key point: rest as little as possible between sets, then rest for two minutes after an entire round. Go for 6 rounds.

  • Reverse Lunge Front DB Raise
  • Bosu Lunge Shoulder Press
  • Reverse-Step Resistance Band Row
  • Squat with TRX Shoulder Iso-Hold
  • Stability Ball Dynamic Plank
  • Banded Lateral Walk Pallof Press

Get moving, then go see how well this worked for Keanu Reeves when John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum hits theaters May 17.

Seagrass’ strong potential for curbing erosion

A new study shows how seagrass can help to protect shorelines against erosion and help to mitigate damage from rising sea level, potentially providing useful guidance for seagrass restoration efforts.