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Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a></em></p> <p>Loyalty programs enable firms to offer significantly lower prices to some of their customers. You’d think this would encourage strong competition.</p> <p>But that isn’t always what actually happens. <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">New research</a> shows that paradoxically, by changing the way companies target customers, loyalty programs can sometimes reduce price competition. The research also points to solutions.</p> <h2>A win-win proposition?</h2> <p>Joining a loyalty program is supposed to be a win-win. You – the customer – get to enjoy perks and discounts, while the company gains useful commercial insights and builds brand allegiance.</p> <p>For example, a hotel chain loyalty program might reward travellers for frequent stays, with points redeemable for future bookings, upgrades or other benefits. The hotel chain, in turn, records and analyses how you spend money and encourages you to stay with them again.</p> <p>Such programs are commonplace across many industries – appearing everywhere from travel and accommodation to supermarket or petrol retailing. But they are increasingly coming under scrutiny.</p> <p>In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">cautioned</a> consumers about the sheer volume of personal data collected when participating in a loyalty program, and what companies can do with it.</p> <p>Hidden costs – such as having to pay a redemption fee on rewards or losing benefits when points expire – are another way these schemes can harm consumers.</p> <p>But a larger question – how loyalty programs impact consumers overall – remains difficult to settle, because their effect on competitiveness is unclear. As the ACCC’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">final report</a> notes, on the one hand: "Loyalty schemes can have pro-competitive effects and intensify competition between rivals leading to competing loyalty discounts and lower prices for consumers."</p> <p>But on the other hand: "Loyalty schemes can also reduce the flexibility of consumers’ buying patterns and responsiveness to competing offers, which may reduce competition."</p> <h2>How a two-speed price system can hurt everyone</h2> <p>A new economic theory research <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">working paper</a>, coauthored by one of us (Kominers), suggests that on competitive grounds alone, loyalty programs can sometimes harm <em>all</em> consumers – both ordinary shoppers and the program’s own members.</p> <p>It’s easy to see how the ordinary shopper can be worse off. Since a firm’s loyalty program enables it to offer discounted prices to its members, the firm can raise the base prices it offers to everyone else. Those not participating in the program pay more than they otherwise would have, and the firm can respond by saying “join our program!” instead of having to lower its price.</p> <p>But sometimes, even the program’s own members can end up worse off.</p> <p>When a given customer’s loyalty status is not visible to a firm’s competitors – as is the case in many loyalty programs today – it’s hard for those competitors to identify them and entice them to switch.</p> <p>The main way to compete for those customers becomes to lower the base price for everyone, but this means missing out on the high base margins achieved through the existence of your own loyalty program – remember, having a loyalty program means you can charge non-members more.</p> <p>It’s often more profitable for firms to just maintain high base prices. This, in turn, reduces overall price competition for loyal customers, so firms can raise prices for them, too.</p> <h2>What’s the solution?</h2> <p>Despite these effects on competition, loyalty programs still offer benefits for consumers and an opportunity for brands to form closer relationships with them.</p> <p>So, how do we preserve these benefits while enabling price competition? The research suggests an answer: making a customer’s loyalty status verifiable, transparent and portable across firms. This would make it possible for firms to tailor offers for their competitors’ loyal customers.</p> <p>This is already happening in the market for retail electricity. While there aren’t loyalty programs there per se, a consumer’s energy consumption profile, which could be used by a competitor to calibrate a personalised offer, is known only to their current electricity supplier.</p> <p>To address this, in 2015, the Victorian government launched a <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au">program</a> encouraging households to compare energy offers. This process involved first revealing a customer’s energy consumption profile to the market, and then asking retailers to compete via personalised offers.</p> <p>By opening information that might have otherwise been hidden to the broader market, this approach enabled firms to compete for each other’s top customers, in a way that could be emulated for loyalty programs.</p> <p>Such systems in the private sector could build upon “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-status-matches-challenges/">status match</a>” policies at airlines. These allow direct transfer of loyalty status, but currently rely on a lengthy, individual-level verification process.</p> <p>For example, a design paradigm known as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2022/05/what-is-web3">Web3</a>” – where customer transactions and loyalty statuses are recorded on public, shared blockchain ledgers – offers a way to make loyalty transparent across the market.</p> <p>This would enable an enhanced, decentralised version of status match: a firm could use blockchain records to verifiably identify who its competitors’ loyal customers are, and directly incentivise them to switch.</p> <p>Both startups and established firms have experimented with building such systems.</p> <h2>What next?</h2> <p>New academic research helps us model and better understand when loyalty programs could be weakening supply side competition and undermining consumer welfare.</p> <p>A neat universal solution may prove elusive. But targeted government or industry interventions – centred on increasing the transparency of a customer’s loyalty status and letting them move it between firms – could help level the playing field between firms and consumers.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220669/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216"><em>Alexandru Nichifor</em></a><em>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/loyalty-programs-may-limit-competition-and-they-could-be-pushing-prices-up-for-everyone-220669">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Can’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>With the rising cost of living, gyms memberships and fitness classes are becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the good news is you can make <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28655559/">just as much progress at home</a>.</p> <p>Cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility are the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4">most important</a> components of fitness. And each can be trained with little or no equipment. Let’s look at why – and how – to fit them into your DIY exercise program.</p> <h2>1. Cardiovascular endurance</h2> <p>Cardiovascular endurance exercise (or “cardio”) forces the heart and lungs to increase the supply of oxygen to the working muscles. Heart disease is a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">leading cause of death</a> and cardiovascular endurance exercise helps keep the heart healthy.</p> <p>The best thing about cardio is you don’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Walking, jogging and running are great options, as are cycling, skipping rope and swimming.</p> <p>There are two approaches to maximise cardiovascular endurance:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897392/">high-intensity interval training</a> (HIIT) – short bouts of hard exercise (around 80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate) interspersed with lower intensity recovery periods (around 40% to 50% of your maximum heart rate)</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26664271/">low-intensity steady-state</a> (LISS) exercise – aerobic activity performed continuously at a low-to-moderate intensity (around 50% to 65% of your maximum heart rate) for an extended duration.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Both are great options. While high-intensity interval training can be more time efficient, low-intensity steady-state training might be more enjoyable and easier to sustain long-term.</p> <p>No matter what you choose, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">aim for</a> a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. For example, you could try 30 minutes, five days per week of low intensity cardio, or 25 minutes, three days per week of high-intensity activity, or a combination of the two.</p> <p>How do you know if you’re exercising at the right intensity?</p> <p>Smart watches that measure heart rate can help to monitor intensity. Or you can rely on the good old-fashioned <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25536539/">talk test</a>. During low-intensity activity, you should be able to speak in full sentences. Conversely, short phrases (initially) or single words (towards the end) should be all that’s manageable during high-intensity exercise.</p> <h2>2. Muscle strength</h2> <p>Next is muscle strength, which we train through resistance exercise. This is important for bone health, balance and metabolic health, especially as we age and our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276173/">muscle mass and strength declines</a>.</p> <p>Aim for two days per week of whole-body resistance exercise performed at a moderate or <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">greater intensity</a>. Try to build two weekly sessions that target the major muscle groups. This could include:</p> <ul> <li>squats – lower to the ground from standing by bending the hips, knees, and ankles while keeping the chest up tall before returning to standing by straightening the hips, knees and ankles</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hip_Hinge">hinges</a> – fold forward at the hips by pushing your bottom back to the wall behind you, keeping your back straight. A slight bend in the knees is fine but aim to keep your shins vertical</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7196742/">push-ups</a> – if a full push-up is too difficult, you can place your hands on a raised surface such as a step or a chair</p> </li> <li> <p>horizontal and vertical pull ups – using something like a portable chin up bar, which you can buy from sports supply stores</p> </li> <li> <p>vertical pushes – pushing an object (or weight) vertically from the top of your chest to an overhead position.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Once you have selected your exercises, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35873210/">perform</a> 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions at a moderate to greater intensity, with about 90 seconds rest between each set.</p> <p>As you progress, continue to challenge your muscles by adding an extra set to each exercise, or including dumbbells, changing body position or wearing a backpack with weights. The goal should be to progress slightly each session.</p> <p>However, if you have any underlying health conditions, disabilities, or are unsure how best to do this, see an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.</p> <h2>3. Flexibility</h2> <p>Improved flexibility can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">increase your range of motion</a> and improve your ability to manage daily life.</p> <p>While we don’t know the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">best means of increasing flexibility</a>, the most basic and readily accessible is static <a href="https://www.topendsports.com/testing/flex.htm">stretching</a>. Here, we lengthen the muscle – for example, the hamstrings, until we feel a “stretching” sensation. Hold that position for 15–30 seconds.</p> <p>While the precise intensity of this stretching sensation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26347668/">remains elusive</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29506306/">around 5–10 minutes</a> per week per <a href="https://exrx.net/Lists/Directory">muscle group</a>, spread across five days, seems to provide the best results.</p> <h2>How to stick with it?</h2> <p>The best exercise is the one that gets done. So, whatever you choose, make sure you enjoy it. After all, it’s about creating an ongoing commitment to exercise that will deliver long-term health benefits.</p> <p>It’s also important to ensure you’re ready to exercise, especially if you have any underlying health issues, have been previously inactive, or are unsure how to start. A <a href="https://www.ausactive.org.au/apss">pre-exercise screening</a> can help you to determine whether you should see a doctor or allied health professional before starting an exercise program and for guidance on the next steps. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206204/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, Lecturer in Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, Professor in Allied Health and Health Services Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-afford-a-gym-membership-or-fitness-class-3-things-to-include-in-a-diy-exercise-program-206204">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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Why you should beware spending rewards and BNPL programs

<p>Malware is software designed to disrupt and destroy, and there are plenty of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ financial programs doing just that to people’s financial futures. Some that come to mind are programs (yes, they’re called ‘programs’) that make it easier to spend and / or reward and incentivise spending, and harder to make good financial decisions. When you get tricked into spending, or spending more than you otherwise would, you transfer your wealth to someone else. The more wealth you consume, the less you have for later on. Let’s consider two marketing malware culprits to avoid wherever possible.</p> <p><strong>Rewards Programs</strong></p> <p>Beware programs that trick you into thinking that spending is good.</p> <p>Consider Flybuys for example. It is a rewards program where you generally receive one Flybuys point for every dollar spend. Therefore, to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points, you need to spend $1 000 000. What if I told you that the cash value of one Flybuys point is 0.5 cents? That would mean to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points you’d have to spend $1 000 000, yet that $1 000 000 is really only ‘worth’ $5000. They’ve actually created a system where you think you’re being rewarded on a one-for-one basis (i.e. one dollar spent equals one point) when really you’re being rewarded at the rate of half of one cent for every dollar spent.</p> <p>Additionally, when it comes time to redeem your points, the products you can ‘purchase’ are valued at top dollar, rather than at any discounted price you might be able to find if you shopped around.</p> <p><strong>Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)</strong></p> <p>Back in the day, department stores offered something called lay-by. This was where you could grab a product off the shelf, take it to the store’s lay-by counter and enter an arrangement with them to pay it off over two or three instalments. Once you’d made the final payment, the product was yours to own and take home. Lay-by was a great option for people who couldn’t access or didn’t want to use credit cards. There were no upfront fees associated with lay-by, and there was certainly no interest charged. </p> <p>Lay-by has been reborn and rebadged as BNPL; you pay by instalments, and you can take the product with you immediately. You won’t pay any fees provided you make the required instalments in full and on time. If you don’t, then you’ll be slugged with establishment fees, late fees, account-keeping fees and payment processing fees.</p> <p>The danger is that BNPL is easier to access than traditional debt options such as credit cards because BNPL is not technically credit since providers don’t charge interest. But BNPL is consumer debt with instant gratification, and that makes it credit in my book.</p> <p>Afterpay is one of the biggest BNPL providers on the planet. It advertises that it is a ‘free service’, provided you pay on time. If you don’t,  their late fee is $10 per missed payment, plus an additional $7 if the payment is still outstanding after a week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you had bought something that only cost $20 and forgot to make a $5 instalment, then the $10 fee is 200 per cent of the missed payment. Ouch! Don’t forget that the fee is per missed payment. If there were other purchases made, then the fee would compound.</p> <p>Late fees, however small, can quickly cascade into a significant sum of money, potentially many times more than the instalment due or even the price of the item purchased. Plus, there are other consequences of missed payments—black marks on credit records, difficulties borrowing for other debt such as a home loan, and the possibility of additional fees as debts are passed over to debt collectors.</p> <p>BNPL organisations profit from users who fail to meet their repayment obligations, and so part and parcel of running a successful business and growing profits would involve them doing well when their customers do poorly. You can’t expect corporate behemoths to do the right thing by you if it’s the wrong thing by them. The best you can do is gain the skills and awareness you need to know when you’re being played. Marketing malware disrupts your ability to accumulate wealth by tricking you into believing you are getting a better deal than is the case. Ideally, you’d avoid using it at all, but if it’s too late for that, then you need to clean up your code as soon as you can.</p> <p>Being rewarded for spending money you haven’t yet earned is a toxic combination that will poison your efforts to attract and keep a fortune that counts.  Make sure you are a good shepherd of your financial flock by being vigilant in keeping an eye out for marketing malware wolves, and not falling for their enticing yet financially disempowering charms. </p> <p><strong>Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s <em>Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts</em> (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers. Visit www.moneymagnet.au</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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ALDI looking for fresh meat (graduates)

<p dir="ltr">ALDI Australia is looking to hire a fresh batch of graduates for their insanely popular program. </p> <p dir="ltr">The German retailer’s graduate program is inundated with applications each year thanks to the attractive $92,000 starting salary, a company car and iPhone, as well as five weeks annual leave. </p> <p dir="ltr">Successful applicants will undertake a comprehensive program over a two-year period while rotating through the exciting challenge of the business. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Our graduate jobs aren’t easy but the greater the challenge, the greater the reward,” their <a href="https://www.aldicareers.com.au/Graduate-Program-Application-Process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You’ll have exposure to serving customers on registers, managing sections in our distribution centre, undertaking site meetings with our property team, and developing your skills as a leader - a career achievement you can be proud of.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Applicants who succeed in their training will take on the role of an Executive Manager, giving them the opportunity to run up three-to-five stores.</p> <p dir="ltr">Peter Slaven recently completed the program and is now an Executive Manager of Store Operation in NSW. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was prepared for a lot of observation and structured training, however I was pleasantly surprised with how hands-on ALDI’s graduate program is,” he told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/aldis-insane-92000-job-for-uni-graduates/news-story/fbba33620c65bfad5a5f80df3e730155?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&amp;utm_source=news.com.au&amp;utm_medium=Facebook&amp;utm_content=SocialBakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“During the program I worked in three cities and over 30 stores, building relationships with close to 500 people. No two days are the same and I learnt to adapt quickly to constant change and I am still learning new things every day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">ALDI group director of human resources and projects Hayden Rydberg said the program attracted people from all walks of life. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s an opportunity for ambitious future leaders to hit the ground running in a supportive environment where you will learn directly from industry leaders, all while accelerating your career with a rewarding and dynamic retail business,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Applicants must be in their final year of study or recently completed a master’s degree in any subject. </p> <p dir="ltr">Applications for ALDI's 2023 graduate program close on Monday March 28, 2022.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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The unbeatable poker-playing program

<div class="copy"> <p>When it comes to games, machines have left us in the dust – we’ve been trounced at draughts, chess, even the TV quiz show <em>Jeopardy</em>. But clever humans still had an edge when it came to poker – until now.</p> <p>A new program, Cepheus, plays the game so well you could play against it your whole life and, unless you were unbelievably lucky, still not finish on top. It is the brainchild of Michael Bowling and colleagues at the University of Alberta who published the algorithm behind their winning result in <em>Science</em>.</p> <p>And yes – Cepheus can even bluff.</p> <p>“It will almost certainly leave human opponents in its wake,” says David Dowe, a machine learning and artificial intelligence expert at Monash University.</p> <p>Computer algorithms are very good at cracking those games where players know everything that has occurred before making their move – this is known in game theory as “perfect information”. Examples are Connect Four and draughts – each player can see where all pieces lie on the board. These games were solved by computers in 1998 and 2007 respectively. But poker is an imperfect-information game.</p> <p>A player doesn’t know what cards their opponent holds or what cards their opponent thinks <em>they</em> hold. Not surprisingly, it’s these unknowns that make poker extremely challenging for computers to handle.</p> <p>So in 2008, Las Vegas was a little shaken up when a computer program, Polaris, beat some of its best poker pros at Texas hold ’em.</p> <p>But Polaris was not perfect – it occasionally lost. By rejigging its algorithm, Bowling and his poker research group have upped the ante and “solved” the game of poker while they were at it.</p> <p>“Solving” a game is not quite the same as beating your opponents. When it comes to chess or <em>Jeopardy</em>, all IBM’s Deep Blue or Watson had to do was provide a solution superior to their human opponents – but not necessarily the perfect one.</p> <p>By contrast, Cepheus’s algorithms were derived as rigorously as any mathematical proof. Its solutions are unbeatable by any opponent. So poker can be said to have been solved in a way that neither chess nor <em>Jeopardy</em> have.</p> <p>To get to its virtually unbeatable state, Cepheus had to “learn” from experience. It played the equivalent of a billion billion hands over two months, “… more poker than has been played by the entire human race,” says Bowling.</p> <p>And in a classical example of machine learning, it reviewed every decision, learnt which did or didn’t pay off and used that information to play as perfectly as possible.</p> <p>Cepheus’s strength lies in its ability to solve problems where there is a great deal of uncertainty.</p> <p>A human opponent might win individual hands if they get lucky with the cards, but Cepheus always comes out on top in the long run.</p> <p>Texas hold ’em is the most popular form of poker played today and Bowling’s group restricted Cepheus to a simple version called “heads-up limit hold ’em” – it’s played with two players (heads-up) and has fixed bet sizes and number of raises (limit).</p> <p>But when faced with a decision in real life, people aren’t usually limited to a set number of choices. So might a future version of Cepheus solve a no-limit version of poker? “Out of the question, ” says Bowling.</p> <p>“No-limit poker is considerably more complex. The heads-up limit game has 10<sup>14</sup> (100 trillion) possible decision points and heads-up no-limit hold ’em has 10<sup>140</sup> decision points.” To put that number in context, there are around 10<sup>70</sup> atoms in the universe. If every atom contained its own universe you’d have as many atoms as decision points in heads-up no-limit hold ’em poker, well beyond the capabilities of any computer.​</p> <p>Bowling believes the decision-making strategies Cepheus has mastered will have their greatest impact outside of the games room. Artificial intelligence has a history of beating humans at games and then going on to bigger and better things.</p> <p>For example, IBM’s <em>Jeopardy</em>-winning computer system Watson now helps optimise cancer treatment at Sloan Kettering and provides financial advice at Citicorp and ANZ.</p> <p>Cepheus’s strength lies in its ability to solve problems where there is a great deal of uncertainty. For instance, if you have diabetes, calculating the wrong amount of insulin needed day-to-day can be life threatening, particularly when you take into account unforeseen changes in physical activity or diet.</p> <p>Working with clinicians, Bowling is already using Cepheus-like strategies to develop diabetes management policies, although he says it will be years before they are implemented.</p> <p>Despite heading the poker research laboratory, Bowling says he’s not much of a poker player and has only played a few hands against his “perfect player” program. “The first time I ran for about 20 hands and I was in the lead and ready to quit, but then I played another 20 hands and lost a bunch of money, so now I’m behind,” he laughs.</p> <p>You can try your hand against Cepheus at <a rel="noopener" href="http://poker.srv.ualberta.ca/play" target="_blank">http://poker.srv.ualberta.ca/play</a></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock  </em></p> <em><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=6287&amp;title=The+unbeatable+poker-playing+program" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication -->This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mathematics/the-unbeatable-poker-playing-program/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Belinda Smith. </em></div>

Technology

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5 good reasons to join a hotel loyalty program

<p>There are lots of good reasons to get with the program.</p> <p><strong>1. Earn loyalty points</strong></p> <p>Just like airline frequent flyer points, hotel loyalty programs give you points every time you make a booking. These add up and can be used to book hotel nights at any property in the group or you can spend them on extras within the hotel, like the restaurant or spa. You’ll actually find that hotel loyalty points are much easier to accrue and redeem than airline points, so you can take advantage of them straight away.</p> <p><strong>2. Get extra discounts</strong></p> <p>Everyone loves saving money! Members will be offered exclusive discounts or special rates that aren’t available to the general public. These could be sent out in a members-only email or there might be a special members’ area you can access on their website when booking direct. Never pay full price again.</p> <p><strong>3. Enjoy exclusive freebies</strong></p> <p>Even if you are just paying the standard room rate, that loyalty card still has value. Most hotels will offer members things like free Wi-Fi access, welcome drinks, breakfast, lounge access and more. These are the little extras that can quickly add up during a hotel stay, so it pays to be a member and get them at no extra charge.</p> <p><strong>4. Take advantage of the perks</strong></p> <p>Hotels want you to stay loyal to them, so they will sometimes offer members special perks when they stay with them. That could be room upgrades, a bottle of champagne in the room, free breakfast or even things like spa treatments if you are one of their top frequent sleepers.</p> <p><strong>5. Get the royal treatment</strong></p> <p>Every time you book, the fact that you are a member of the loyalty program will be noted in the system. Hotels want to keep their members happy (and keep them coming back), so they will go out of their way to make sure you have a pleasant stay.</p> <p>Are you part of a hotel loyalty program? Do you think it’s worth it? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Travel Tips

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This annoying computer program is about to be scrapped

<p>Adobe is planning to remove its Flash Media Player by the end of 2020, the company announced in a blog post on Tuesday.</p> <p>Adobe Flash Player is still being used by a number of gaming, education, and video sites, but the company is encouraging businesses and people that use Flash to migrate to other platforms.</p> <p><img src="http://cdn.arn.com.au/media/8340179/flashupdate.jpg?width=500&amp;height=315.4435925520263" alt="undefined" style="width: 354px; height: 223px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Say goodbye to annoying update messages like this. </em></p> <p>“We will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats,” Adobe said in a statement.</p> <p>In the past few years, web browsers Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari have all blocked Flash ad used HTML5 instead.</p> <p>Adobe Flash was crucial in enabling early websites to run videos and online games. But as the web has evolved and improved, there's little need for Flash now.</p> <p>The full migration to HTML5 will likely result in more secure experiences and longer battery life. </p>

Technology

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Running programs aims to help homeless transform their lives

<p>An Australian businessman, who launched not-for-profit running program On My Feet in late 2014, believes exercise might be the key to transforming the lives of Australia’s homeless population.</p> <p>Keegan Crage began visiting homeless shelters and inviting residents to come for a run to reap the positive benefits of exercise.  </p> <p>“I told them: ‘Running is pure, simple, makes you feel great, I’ll provide the gear...and if you make the effort I’ll reward you with pathways to education and employment’,” Mr Crage told 9news.com.au.</p> <p>The strong response to his invitation led Mr Crage to create an incentivised program offering fitness gear, including shirts and shoes, to participants who are currently, or at risk of becoming, homeless. He said those with 90 per cent participation rate would also be assisted to find education and work experience, an opportunity Mr Crage says facilitates “not just self-worth and a sense of purpose… but a genuine pathway to self-sufficiency”.</p> <p>“Running is a great metaphor for life – you get out of it what you put in,” he said.</p> <p>The program has expanded from Perth to Fremantle, Rockingham, Melbourne, and Cape Town, South Africa.</p> <p>Kyle Holtzman, who has struggled with substance abuse problems for 26 years, is one of the 100 people participating in the program. He says the My Feet has left him with a new sense of purpose.</p> <p>“It’s certainly given me a sense of community, a sense of belonging, something to strive toward. It’s given me people I can talk to, people that are prepared to support me,” he said in a video recently posted on the On My Feet’s YouTube page. Watch Kyle’s story in the video above.</p> <p>Do you think this program will help Australia’s homeless population? Share your thoughts in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2016/08/how-to-take-care-of-your-heart-in-cooler-months/"><em>How to take care of your heart in cooler months</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2016/01/cardiologist-tips-for-better-heart-health/"><em>5 tips from a cardiologist for better heart health</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2016/07/secrets-for-a-healthy-heart-after-60/"><em>5 secrets for a healthy heart after 60</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

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Importance of programs connecting aged care patients and children

<p>Intergenerational care. It could be the next big thing in both aged care and childcare. But what exactly is it, and how does it benefit both parties?</p> <p>Australia’s Griffith University is currently researching how intergenerational model might be the next logical step in caring for both the elderly and the very young. “It arose from thinking – ‘Wow, why isn’t it normal to bring up children with the help of older people?’” Professor Anneke Fitzgerald told <a href="http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2016/03/10/researchers-test-intergenerational-model-of-care/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Community Care Review</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“It may very well be that older people learn very well from children, like children learn very well from older people,” Professor Fitzgerald believes. “If you just imagine a picture of an older person sitting with an iPad being taught by a four-year-old how to swipe from one window to another, then that is exactly what we are talking about.”</p> <p>Intergenerational care programs have already proven successful overseas and are slowly being introduced to Australia and New Zealand. The <a href="http://careforourgreats.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Adopt a Pop, Gain a Granny</span></strong></a> program is currently being rolled out in Geelong, pairing together local primary schools with aged care residents, and so far the results have been very positive. “We learnt about the history of many of the elderly people there and we got to make relationships with our new friends,” one primary student wrote on the program’s <a href="http://careforourgreats.com/2016/04/29/st-patricks-students-reflections/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">website</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>So, what is it about intergenerational care that’s so beneficial for both the young and the old? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits.</p> <p><strong>For the elderly:</strong></p> <ul> <li>More opportunities for social interaction</li> <li>Improved mental and physical health</li> <li>Stronger sense of community</li> <li>Sense of purpose</li> <li>Boost in mood</li> </ul> <p><strong>For children:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Improved social skills, particularly towards the elderly and disabled</li> <li>Better academic performance</li> <li>More positive attitude to ageing and disability</li> </ul> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/06/dementia-malnutrition-risk/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dementia patients at risk of malnutrition</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/05/this-mobile-game-is-helping-fight-dementia/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>This mobile game is helping fight dementia</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/05/animals-changing-lives-in-aged-care/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>How animals are changing lives in aged care</strong></span></em></a></p>

Caring

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Princess Cruises husky puppy program

<p>While cute husky puppies probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a luxury cruise, we’re sure you’ll agree they sound like a welcome addition!</p> <p>Princess Cruises is giving passengers on its Alaska itineraries the chance to meet these adorable sled-dogs-in-waiting as part of the line’s North to Alaska program.</p> <p>This award-winning program debuted last year, and aims to bring local personalities, culture and cuisine on-board Princess ships, to provide a more immersive experience.</p> <p>Puppies in the Piazza allows guests on select cruises to pet and take photos of the adorable puppies, as well as meeting the dog handlers who will eventually be preparing these cute little balls of fur for a lifetime of dog mushing. The handlers will also answer any questions you might have about the future sled dogs, although you may be a little disappointed with answer you get when you ask, “Can I take this sled dog home?”</p> <p><img width="499" height="304" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/18108/puppies-in-text_499x304.jpg" alt="Sled puppies"/></p> <p>In addition to the Puppies in the Piazza experience, Princess Cruises is also offering passengers the opportunity to enjoy their own catch of the day for dinner. A range a fishing experiences will now be offered, allowing passengers to bring back a well-earned catch and have it expertly prepared by the Princess’ culinary team.</p> <p>And, as if that wasn’t enough, Princess is also going to be offering a unique meet the Mountain Climber experience, which gives cruise passengers the opportunity to hear gripping, first-hand accounts from mountain climbers who have conquered the famous Denali Mountains.</p> <p>Climbers will present thrilling photos of their experience in Hudson Theatre at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, and after the presentation you’ll be able to meet the climbers and ask them any questions. You can also go outside for a glimpse at one of the retired airplanes which is very similar to the one the climbers used to transport people to and from base camp.</p> <p>Princess Cruises is currently offering the North to Alaska experience on the Crown Princess, Star Princess, Ruby Princess, Island Princess, Coral Princess and Grand Princess.</p> <p>These six ships will be offering more than 120 Alaska cruise departures in 2016.</p> <p>We have to say our favourite part of the North to Alaska program has to be those gorgeous huskies though, they’d almost be worth the price of the cabin alone.</p> <p>For more information on Princess Cruises; North to Alaska program, <a href="http://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/north-to-alaska/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/how-to-make-cruise-ship-towel-animals/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to make cruise ship towel animals</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/inside-worlds-biggest-cruise-ship/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Inside one of the world’s biggest cruise ships</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/02/can-the-historic-queen-elizabeth-2-cruise-ship-be-saved/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Can the historic Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship be saved?</strong></em></span></a></p>

Cruising

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