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"Taken way too soon": TV star's brother breaks silence after shocking death

<p>The grieving brother of slain TV star Johnny Wactor has broken his silence over his brother's untimely death. </p> <p>Johnny Wactor, 37, was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/soap-star-killed-in-robbery-gone-wrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a> in Los Angeles in the early hours of Saturday morning when he intercepted a group of men trying to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle, and was shot dead at the scene. </p> <p>Now, Wactor's brother Grant has shared more details on the events surrounding his Johnny's death, telling <a href="https://people.com/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactors-brother-speaks-out-on-killing-taken-way-too-early-8654340" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a> magazine that he had finished a shift working as a bartender at the time he was shot. </p> <p>After his shift finished at about 3:25am local time, he walked to his car with a female co-worker  when he noticed that his car had been “jacked up or lifted in some way”.</p> <p>Initially, the actor thought his car was being towed away, but quickly realised the people surrounding his car were not tow-truck drivers.</p> <p>Grant said his brother physically shielded his female colleague to prevent her from being hurt and had his hands up in the air when he was shot.</p> <p>“He did not confront them,” he told the publication. “He did not try to stop them. He was just trying to diffuse the situation by stepping back.”</p> <p>After the shooting the men fled the scene in a different car, and LAPD officer Jeff Lee said the suspects were “still outstanding”.</p> <p>Grant Wactor said his family were “hoping and praying” that the killers were found and brought to justice.</p> <p>“We just want (them to be found) as quickly as possible and correctly,” he said, describing his brother as “a good person”.</p> <p>“He was taken way too early, and no one should be taken like this at all,” he said.</p> <p>“He touched a lot of people. He believed in his core values to the end, and he lived life to the fullest the way he wanted to. And he was happy doing that.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Ouzounova / Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

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"Gone way too soon”: Neighbours star dead at 48

<p><em>Neighbours </em>star Troy Beckwith, who immortalised the infamous villain Michael Martin, has passed away at the age of 48.</p> <p>The news was confirmed by his former co-star, Kym Valentine, leaving the <em>Neighbours</em> community and fans around the world mourning the loss of a talented actor and cherished friend.</p> <p>Valentine took to social media to share the heartbreaking news, saying, “It pains me so much to have to say this. Our dear old friend Troy Beckwith has passed away.” The void left by his departure is felt deeply by those who knew him, with Valentine expressing sorrow over the untimely loss of another member of their TV family.</p> <p>“Another member of our TV family gone way too soon. There will be no funeral as per Troy’s request. Thanks for all the memories my cheeky mate and all my love to your friends and family.”</p> <p>Troy's character, "Sicko Micko", became an iconic figure in the world of <em>Neighbours</em> during his run from 1992 to 1998. Ausculture even likened him to "the Charles Manson of Ramsay Street" because of the profound impact he had on fans and the show's legacy. His portrayal of Michael Martin earned him a special place in the hearts of viewers, and he remains a fixture in lists ranking the best <em>Neighbours </em>characters of the 1990s.</p> <p>As the news spread, tributes poured in from fellow cast members and friends. Brett Stark actor Brett Blewitt, currently part of the <em>Neighbours</em> revival, shared his thoughts, describing Troy as a "lovely person" who was "deeply thoughtful and empathetic". The pain of the loss is palpable in Blewitt's words, echoing the sentiments of many who had the privilege of knowing Troy.</p> <p>Even as the <em>Neighbours</em> family grapples with the shock, Lucinda Cowden, who plays Melanie Pearson, expressed her sorrow through a series of broken heart emojis. The collective grief is evident, as the cast and crew mourn the departure of a talent gone too soon.</p> <p>Troy's friend Selina Laine Bonica reflected on the complexity of their relationship, saying, “Troy, you were a pain in my a**, but I loved you dearly. I’m just glad you’re free from pain.”</p> <p>Beckwith's impact extended beyond <em>Neighbours</em>, as evidenced by his role in the series <em>Pugwall</em>. Ricky Fleming, his co-star, paid tribute by remembering the mischievous adventures they shared, saying, “May you be in peace and still be the infectious joy of those who are in your presence now.”</p> <p>The absence of a cause of death only deepens the sense of loss, leaving fans to remember a talent that graced their screens and a person who touched the hearts of many. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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"It's okay, we will see sissy soon": Athena Strand's mother shares heartbreak

<p dir="ltr">The mother of Athena Strand, the little girl who was kidnapped and murdered by a FedEx driver, has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her seven-year-old daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maitlyn Gandy shared a video showing her youngest daughter, Rye, crying for her ‘Sissy’ who had gone to spend time with her father and stepmother in Texas before returning to her mother and sister in Comanche, Oklahoma, for Christmas.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dated November 27, the video was taken just three days before Athena was reported missing and five days before she was found dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The short clip shows Rye crying and “begging for her sissy” in a car booster seat, with Gandy writing that her young daughter’s feelings of missing her sissy have been extended “indefinitely”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That video of Rye begging for her sissy was Sunday 11/27 when we thought sissy would only be gone a few days,” Gandy wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I kept telling her, ‘It’s okay, we will see sissy soon’, not knowing how twisted our lives would become. I took it because she does this anytime she think sissy is going somewhere without her. She cried for thirty minutes straight in the car until she cried herself to sleep.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This monster has now extended those feelings for my youngest daughter indefinitely.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c936a043-7fff-cfc0-1dcd-c38e487d8cef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In previous posts, Gandy shared that Athena’s favourite colour was pink, describing her as an “innocent, beautiful kid” and “the brighest happiest soul you could ever meet”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid05rc5eJC8QQ2hgJaCBQmj9YPoxCYagdPZzrxWvcKk9TvLeio7QvrHyZYAZ4jZafbvl%26id%3D100004852725773&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="761" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“She was perfect from her creation. She was born perfect and too beautiful. Daddy and mommy were scared of how beautiful she has always been and we feel like we failed you,” Gandy wrote, along with photos of a smiling Athena.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No one deserves what happened to you, but especially you. I love you and love doesn’t even cover it. Mommy is broken without you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In another post, she said she didn’t want her daughter to be known as “the one murdered and discarded by a monster”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want everyone to know, every single person in this world, that this is my baby and my baby was taken from me,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Athena was snatched from the driveway of her family’s home in Paradise, Texas, by Tanner Lynn Horner on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Athena was dropped off from school at 4.30pm and was outside her home after an argument with her stepmother when Horner delievered a package to the house.</p> <p dir="ltr">When Athena didn’t come back inside, her stepmother reported her missing to police that evening.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was found dead 10 miles away on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 31-year-old has since been charged with aggravated murder and kidnapping, with Wise County sheriff Lane Akin describing the tragedy as a “crime of opportunity”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-871aa852-7fff-ff56-783a-9418e33d242a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Police said Horner, who is being held on a $1.5 million bond, likely killed Athena within an hour of her kidnapping.</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid0YtRfBoAg5MkGPLwgrYQTb7KK8iiFJeu4Y2XsJxSH4NXD39Jzdb1Ff4TB53BERcMCl%26id%3D100004852725773&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="675" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">A tip-off and Horner’s FedEx delivery route that day helped police connected the driver to Athena’s murder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Horner confessed shortly after being apprehended and is the only suspect authorities believe is responsible.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Monday, residents in Texas and Comanche, Oklahoma, were asked to wear pink to celebrate Athena’s life, with the request in Wise County coming from local judge J.D. Clark.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart is so heavy about Athena. Additionally, I encourage everyone to join me at 6:30pm on Monday on the Courthouse steps to pray for Athena, her family, our first responders and our community,” Clark said.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the vigil, local resident Kayla McConnell told WFAA that the whole community had been impacted by Athena’s death and would be supporting the family as they grieved.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In a small town like this, you don't think of anything like this ever. Nothing compares to the pain that [the family is] going through. But this entire community has felt this,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And we're all there with them. And we will support them and we will remember Athena every time we even see pink.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement on Friday night, FedEx expressed their condolences for the family “during this most difficult time”,</p> <p dir="ltr">“Words cannot describe our shock at the reports surrounding this tragic event. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family during this most difficult time.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1c192827-7fff-2444-5a44-e67d1d47341a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

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“You left us way too soon”: Tributes flow for Margaret Ulrich

<p dir="ltr">Margaret Ulrich, the New Zealand singer best known for her vocals on Daryl Braithwaite’s hit <em>The Horses</em>, has died aged 57 after battling breast cancer for two and a half years.</p> <p dir="ltr">The songstress passed away peacefully at her home in the NSW Southern Highlands on Monday, surrounded by her family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tributes to Ulrich have since poured in from fans, artists, and TV stars from Australia and New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">“RIP Margaret Ulrich. Such a beautiful singer. My heart goes out to George and her family. You left us way too soon,” Aussie icon Jimmy Barnes <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyBarnes/status/1561866835938529280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b0a75c7-7fff-4e8b-ed41-f90639c16c44">“One of the most beautiful voices to come out of New Zealand has fallen silent,” Project co-host Angela Bishop <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelaBishop/status/1561678245351018496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The beautiful Margaret Urlich... one of the most unique vibratos and NZ voices. Will never forget her rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" in Jesus Christ Superstar. "Escaping" is still one of the most iconic jams Saddest news but a life full of incredible achievements❤️❤️ <a href="https://t.co/acimbvx9xn">https://t.co/acimbvx9xn</a></p> <p>— Indira Stewart (@Indiratweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/Indiratweets/status/1561781878566240256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">😢THAT Voice, THAT fashion style for a tom-boy like me. I got to do an Advert with other female artists for TVNZ.I was a 13 yr old nerdy kid. SHE was super gorgeous. 🕊Margaret Urlich an absolute icon from that beautiful melting pot of talent. Moe mai ra beautiful💔🎵 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Escaping?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Escaping</a> <a href="https://t.co/XW7O1FchxM">pic.twitter.com/XW7O1FchxM</a></p> <p>— TheBlackSheep.com (@74MasterBlaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/74MasterBlaster/status/1561782621176270850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The beautiful Margaret Ulrich… one of the most unique vibratos and NZ voices,” TVNZ journalist Indira Stewart <a href="https://twitter.com/Indiratweets/status/1561781878566240256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Vale #margaretulrich Much love to George and the family … and immense respect for the beautiful and talented artist who blazed a trail. R.I.P. Margaret 💔,” Channel Nine’s Richard Wilkins <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardWilkins/status/1561671409231081472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Margaret Ulrich, trailblazer &amp; wonderful human. I was in awe of her as a kid. Aroha (love) to all hurting from this loss,” New Zealand singer-songwriter Hollie Smith <a href="https://twitter.com/holliejsmith/status/1561813545783701504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ulrich began her career as the vocalist for the band Peking Man, before joining When The Cat’s Away, a Kiwi all-girl pop group.</p> <p dir="ltr">She later made history as the first solo female artist to take the number one spot in the official New Zealand Music Charts with her hit song <em>Escaping</em>, which came from her 1989 debut album <em>Safety in Numbers</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her follow-up album, <em>Chameleon Dreams</em> (1992), spawned the hits <em>Boy in the Moon</em> and <em>Burnt Sienna</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Ulrich’s Aussie music fame came after she was a guest vocalist on Braithwaite’s 1991 hit, which spent 12 weeks in the Top 10 and 23 weeks in the Top 50 Australian charts and has since been recognised as a beloved national anthem.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2016, Ulrich admitted she regrets not appearing in the music video, which was being filmed while she was recording an album in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could have come back to do the video but I was doing my own thing by that stage,” she told News Corp.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of people know it's my singing, but they don't put two and two together that it's not me in the video.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In retrospect, it was probably a little bit silly because the song was so huge. But at the time I was young and a bit stupid, I did what I thought was right. But it was absolutely no disrespect to Daryl.”</p> <p dir="ltr">That same year, Braithwaite claimed in an interview commemorating 25 years since<em> The Horses</em> was released that Ulrich pulled out of the video at the last minute.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b7c42a1f-7fff-7264-118d-d2f9b1475375"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Gone too soon: Tributes flow for Andrew Symonds

<p dir="ltr">The sporting world has been dealt yet another heavy blow following the sudden death of former Australian cricket legend Andrew Symonds in a car crash.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 46-year-old died on Saturday night just outside Townsville, Queensland, where he was spending his retirement years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2022/05/15/fatal-single-vehicle-crash-hervey-range/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to police</a>, Symonds was driving shortly after 11pm when his car left the road and rolled.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emergency services attempted to revive him at the scene but were unsuccessful.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gavin Oates, the Acting Inspector of Townsville Police, said the cause of the crash was still unknown.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s still being investigated at this stage. Forensic Crash Unit officers have attended the scene and are conducting the investigation and they will prepare a report for the coroner,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The accident was actually heard by neighbours who are people who live nearby that were the first people on scene and alerted emergency services.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-95bee044-7fff-bd24-d500-5348969ca110"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“They provided the assistance they could at the time.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tributes flow for the great Andrew Symonds.</p> <p>Our deepest condolences to all those who were lucky enough to enjoy the pleasure of his company ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/k5zacI4Jbl">pic.twitter.com/k5zacI4Jbl</a></p> <p>— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1525707655737593856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Symonds’ wife Laura, who flew from Sydney to Townsville on Sunday morning, spoke to <em>The Courier Mail</em> and said her thoughts were focused on her and Symonds’ two children, Chloe and Billy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are still in shock - I’m just thinking of the two kids,” she told the publication.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s such a big person and there is just so much of him in his kids.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the news broke of Symond’s sudden passing, fellow cricketers - including teammates and opponents - have been among the many thousands who have shared tributes to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This really hurts,” Adam Gilchrist, a former teammate and wicketkeeper, wrote on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2c01b219-7fff-de7f-d57b-876f2d4b79d0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Think of your most loyal, fun, loving friend who would do anything for you. That’s Roy.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Think of your most loyal, fun, loving friend who would do anything for you. That’s Roy. 💔😞</p> <p>— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) <a href="https://twitter.com/gilly381/status/1525635035751059456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ricky Ponting, who captained Symonds at various points in his career, described him as “an extraordinary player and even better human being”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If Roy shook your hand you had his word, that’s the sort of bloke he was and that’s why I always wanted him on my team,” Ponting wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“An extraordinary player and even better human being. Can’t believe he’s gone.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9edc5dce-7fff-f45a-7be2-be13715ef1a5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Cricketer and fast bowler Brett Lee, who knew Symonds since they were teenagers, shared a heartbreaking tribute to “one of the most gifted athletes”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I knew Roy since the age of 17 from junior cricket. One of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever witnessed. He didn’t play for money or fame, these things were irrelevant to him. As long as he could afford to wet a line &amp; have a cold beer, Roy was happy. First picked in any team 💔 <a href="https://t.co/l1JN3HHJdI">pic.twitter.com/l1JN3HHJdI</a></p> <p>— Brett Lee (@BrettLee_58) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettLee_58/status/1525954573898113024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I knew Roy since the age of 17 from junior cricket. One of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever witnessed,” Lee began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn’t play for money or fame, these things were irrelevant to him. As long as he could afford to wet a line &amp; have a cold beer, Roy was happy. First picked in any team.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1c099e40-7fff-098a-9cdd-277deb90d408"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik even paid tribute by creating a huge, colourful sculpture in Odisha, eastern India, as reported by <em>ANI</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid tribute to Australian cricket star <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndrewSymonds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndrewSymonds</a> through his sand art at Puri beach in Odisha.</p> <p>The cricket legend died in a car crash on May 15. <a href="https://t.co/wDSOaph6LH">pic.twitter.com/wDSOaph6LH</a></p> <p>— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1525966852291465216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Gold Coast Dolphins Cricket Club - the junior club where Symonds played as a 15-year-old - also shared they were “deeply saddened” by his death.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think there's been a lot of tragedy in cricket this year and Andrew was just a bigger than life character and it's shocking to hear," club president Adam Daniels said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"He started playing at the club as a 15-year-old … he represents, probably in the history of the club, one of the first players to come through as a junior player to play for Australia."</p> <p dir="ltr">Daniels described him as the “ultimate teammate” who always gave “200 percent” to the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think he's the ultimate teammate, he would do anything for you – on the field and off the field," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He created an atmosphere in the change room that was fun.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was a fun guy to be around, but as a team-mate he would go into battle for you.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think he was ultimately one of the most talented players. He could do everything, from a batting point of view, (he bowled) medium pace, he bowled off spin, his athleticism in the field. He was just the ultimate athlete.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think that probably what's forgotten is his work ethic. He was probably one of the hardest trainers and I think that's what led to him being a test cricketer."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3e02e5ff-7fff-1b76-b724-0877a992453a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Big travel deals predicted to come soon following Jetstar's $22 flights

<p dir="ltr">Travel is slowly returning to normal and our major airlines are slashing fares, with Jetstar offering flights from major cities to our favourite holiday destinations for just $22. </p> <p dir="ltr">"They really want to entice people back into the air and they want to give you an offer that's almost too good to be true," Australian Traveller co-founder, Quentin Long, told A Current Affair.</p> <p dir="ltr">The destinations are far and wide and if a tropical climate is what you're looking for, Queensland's Cairns and the Whitsundays could be an option for you. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jetstar is getting in early, ahead of the launch of budget airline Bonza, which is set to enter the market mid-year.</p> <p dir="ltr">It's offering flights on more than 25 routes to 16 destinations and fares will average $50 one way on shorter flights.</p> <p dir="ltr">Qantas is launching its Asia Fly Away sale tomorrow which includes return flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide to Singapore starting at $699.</p> <p dir="ltr">A flight to Delhi from Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide will cost $119 and a flight to Manila from Brisbane or Adelaide will cost $829.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Virgin Australia has $69 flights until May 10, with its Book Early Fares Sale.</p> <p dir="ltr">They're also running a weekly Happy Hour sale every Thursday with fares as low as $49.</p> <p dir="ltr">Experts believe this is just the beginning of sales to be seen both domestically and internationally, with big deals predicted in March and April - with the hope of getting more passengers back in the air.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You'll see aviation plus tours, plus accommodation deals coming to the market about then," Mr Long said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Having competitive and very good value airfares is really important to the tourist market, whether it's in Australia or overseas," Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everything that we can do to help that inbound and outbound travel is certainly good for the hundreds of thousands of people employed in the travel and tourism industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And good value airfares are a really important part of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The domestic travel, tourism, business travel, will pick up steadily over the next 12 months and I think we will be back to around that 100 per cent mark in around 12 months' time."</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Jetstar's sale closes at midnight on Thursday unless sold out prior.</p> <p><em><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Image: Getty</span></em></p>

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Back so soon, La Niña? Here’s why we’re copping two soggy summers in a row

<p>Last month was Australia’s <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-weather-australia-records-wettest-november-in-122-years-more-rain-to-come-in-summer/4f2d7ce6-5547-4949-b947-b9aaf51e4271">wettest November</a> on record, and summer in Queensland and parts of New South Wales is also expected to be soggy for the second consecutive year. So why is our summer parade being rained on yet again?</p> <p>Weather systems bring rain all the time. And from November to March, the monsoon occurs in northern Australia which adds to the wet conditions.</p> <p>But this year, three climate phenomena also converged to drive the Big Wet over Australia’s eastern seaboard: a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, a positive Southern Annular Mode, and a La Niña.</p> <p>So will this summer be the wettest and wildest on record for Australia’s southeast? It’s too early to say, but the prospect can’t be discounted.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437370/original/file-20211213-25284-165mf1c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="man in front of flood waters and flood warning sign" /> <span class="caption">Three climate phenomena have converged to bring the current wet conditions.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stuart Walmsley/AAP</span></span></p> <h2>La Niña: the sequel</h2> <p>You’ve probably heard about the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">La Niña</a> that’s emerged in the Pacific Ocean for the second year in a row. This event often brings overcast conditions, above-average rainfall and cooler temperatures.</p> <p>A La Niña occurs when the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become cooler than normal, due to an interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean.</p> <p>During La Niña, atmospheric pressure increases in the east of the Pacific and lowers in the west. This pressure difference causes trade winds to strengthen. The Pacific waters north of Australia become warmer than normal, as the central and eastern Pacific cools.</p> <p>The warm ocean around Australia increases moisture in the atmosphere and enhances the chance of rainfall for the northern and eastern parts of the country. It also increases the likelihood of tropical cyclones.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437382/original/file-20211213-25-9bnwpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437382/original/file-20211213-25-9bnwpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">A schematic showing interactions between the atmosphere and ocean that produce a La Niña.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bureau of Meteorology.</span></span></p> <p>La Niña and its opposite drying phenomenon, <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-nino-and-australia.shtml">El Niño</a>, are together known as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). When each occur, they generally develop during winter and spring, mature in early summer and finish by autumn.</p> <p>We saw that autumn finish in March this year, when the tail end of the last La Niña brought extreme rain and floods to the NSW coast and other regions.</p> <p>So why are we seeing it back so soon? It’s actually not uncommon for La Niña to occur in two consecutive years. In fact, since 1958, about half of La Niña events reoccurred the following year, as the below graph shows.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437383/original/file-20211213-19-uxzzbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437383/original/file-20211213-19-uxzzbt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">Graph showing La Niña events since 1950.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors provided. Data at https://origin.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ONI_v5.php</span></span></p> <p>These repeat events are far more common for La Niña than El Niño. That’s because after an El Niño, strong air-sea interactions cause the equatorial waters of the Pacific to rapidly lose heat. These interactions are weaker during La Niña, meaning the Pacific sometimes retains cool water which enables a second La Niña to occur.</p> <p>We saw this in the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/history/ln-2010-12/">consecutive</a> La Niña events of 2010-11 and 2011-12. The first of these was an extreme La Niña, bringing heavy rain and the devastating Brisbane floods.</p> <h2>La Niña is not acting alone</h2> <p>La Niña is not the only phenomenon driving the wet conditions. This year, after the wet autumn in NSW, an event known as a negative “Indian Ocean Dipole” (<a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/history/ln-2010-12/IOD-what.shtml">IOD</a>) developed.</p> <p>An active negative IOD tends to change wind patterns and rainfall conditions over Australia’s southeast during spring, setting the scene for more wet conditions in summer.</p> <p>Adding to this, the Southern Annular Mode (<a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/sam/">SAM</a>) has been in its positive phase for a few months. The SAM refers to the position of westerly winds in the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere.</p> <p>When the SAM is in a positive phase, mid-latitude storms move poleward, away from Australia, as onshore winds to eastern Australia enhance. This increases moisture and rain to the continent’s southeast.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437375/original/file-20211213-31407-1tphns9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="cars and pedestrian traverse wet road" /> <span class="caption">The negative phase of an IOD typically brings wet weather from Western Australia to southeast Australia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewis/AAP</span></span></p> <h2>What about next year?</h2> <p>The Bureau of Meteorology’s <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/rainfall/median/seasonal/0">seasonal outlook</a> shows an increased chance of rain this summer (January to March) over parts of Queensland and the NSW coast, but not much for the rest of Australia.</p> <p>So while it’s unlikely to be the wettest ever summer in Australia overall, we can’t yet rule that out for the east coast. Safe to say, the climate conditions are ripe for extreme wet weather over the next few months.</p> <p>But rest assured that a third consecutive La Niña, while possible next year, is unlikely. Since 1950, three consecutive La Niñas have occurred only twice: in 1973-75 and 1998-2000. These were preceded by extreme El Niño events, which tend to induce La Niña events.</p> <p>And while the rain might disrupt your summer plans, it’s worth remembering that just three years ago southeast Australia was in the midst of severe drought. The successive La Niñas have brought water and soil moisture back to the Murray Darling Basin – and in that sense that’s a very good thing. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173684/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrea-s-taschetto-169429">Andréa S. Taschetto</a>, Associate Professor, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/agus-santoso-123850">Agus Santoso</a>, Senior Research Associate, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a></em></span></p> <p>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/back-so-soon-la-nina-heres-why-were-copping-two-soggy-summers-in-a-row-173684">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Dan Himbrechts/AAP</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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7 sneaky reasons your hair is going grey too soon

<p><strong>What causes grey hair?</strong></p> <p>Although silver-grey hair is a trendy hair dye colour, many people don’t go grey by choice.</p> <p>And there are different factors that contribute to the process of premature greying.</p> <p>Technically, premature greying is defined as going grey before age 20 if you are white, or before age 30 if you are black, but getting grey hair in your 20s, 30s, or 40s can feel like too soon.</p> <p>In general, grey hairs happen when melanin (natural pigment or colour) stops forming.</p> <p>In general, 74 percent of people aged 45 to 65 will have grey hair with an intensity of about 27 percent, according to a 2012 survey in the <em>British Journal of Dermatology</em>.</p> <p>However, there is a lot of variability. Why does that happen? Here are the reasons why your hair might be turning grey sooner than you’d like.</p> <p><strong>Your parents greyed early</strong></p> <p><span>You’ve probably always wondered what causes grey hair? </span></p> <p><span>Well, steel-coloured locks are partly in your genes, says Dr Doris Day, clinical associate professor of dermatology and author of </span><em>Forget the Facelift</em><span>. </span></p> <p><span>A 2016 study published in </span><em>Nature Communications</em><span> isolated one gene variant linked to greying after researchers analysed hair features of 6,000 Latin Americans. </span></p> <p><span>Though you might be surprised about just how much grey you have if you’ve been colouring your hair for years (or decades), says Dr Day. </span></p> <p><span>And you can blame mum and dad. Just like whether you go bald or not, greying genes come from both sides of the family, says Dr Day.</span></p> <p><strong>You may have an autoimmune condition</strong></p> <p>The autoimmune skin disease called alopecia areata can lead to bright white strands.</p> <p>As the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) explains, people with the condition develop small, round, smooth patches on the scalp, and they can completely lose hair on their head or body.</p> <p>“This happens because your immune system attacks your hair follicles, making your hair fall out.</p> <p>When it grows back, it grows back white,” explains Dr Day. If you notice worrisome hair loss or a bald patch, talk to your dermatologist.</p> <p><strong>Your environment is polluted </strong></p> <p><span>Pollutants and toxins can cause you to grey faster, according to the Library of Congress. </span></p> <p><span>These chemicals generate free radicals – or oxidative stress – that damage melanin production and speed hair ageing. </span></p> <p><span>But once hair grows out of the follicle, it’s dead, adds Dr Day. “It’s really about what gets to the follicle level that will make the most marked difference. While these environmental issues may have an impact, other reasons, like stress, matter more,” she says. (More on that in a minute.)</span></p> <p><strong>You're super stressed</strong></p> <p>When US President Barack Obama entered office his hair was dark.</p> <p>Five years later, people were concerned: He completely transformed to silver.</p> <p>The link between stress and grey hair is hotly debated. However, says Dr Day, “stress will accelerate your genetic destiny.”</p> <p>Meaning, if you’re not going to go grey any time soon, stress is unlikely to change your hair colour.</p> <p>But if going grey is in your genes, stress can make your hair turn grey faster and earlier – unless you make an effort to manage stress.</p> <p><strong>You're exposed to cigarette smoke</strong></p> <p><span>If you’re still asking yourself, “What causes grey hair?”, you may want to blame the cigarettes in your house. </span></p> <p><span>Whether it’s you or someone else doing the puffing, exposure to cigarette smoke can affect your hair colour. </span></p> <p><span>Research published in the </span><em>Indian Dermatology Online Journal </em><span>found that smokers have 2.5 times greater odds of early greying, likely because of the huge amounts of free radicals generated by lighting up. </span></p> <p><span>Count this as one more reason to quit – or encourage a loved one to break the habit.</span></p> <p><strong>Your hormones are changing </strong></p> <p><span>One glance at a photo of you a decade ago can tell you this, but your hair is not the same now as it was then. </span></p> <p><span>So, what causes grey hair to start? Thanks to hormones, your hair can change over time in texture, density, and, yes, colour. </span></p> <p><span>“This process starts to be most noticeable when you turn 30. </span><span>That’s the age when people start to come in and complain about these issues,” says Dr Day. </span></p> <p><span>Experts are still trying to understand precisely how hormones (like oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol) influence greying, she says. </span></p> <p><span>And certainly, there are women in their 50s going through menopause who have not a strand of grey hair. It may be a trifecta of events coming to a head: your genetics, environmental factors and hormonal changes.</span></p> <p><strong>It's your age</strong></p> <p>You may not be ready for the grey, but your hair is. Melanin production – what gives hair its pigment – decreases with age.</p> <p>For every decade after you turn 30, your risk of going grey increases 10 to 20 percent, according to the Library of Congress.</p> <p>So while some people may be able to maintain their natural hair colour for longer, it’s inevitable. “In time, everyone’s hair goes grey,” according to the site.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/beauty/hair-and-nails/7-sneaky-reasons-your-hair-is-going-grey-too-soon" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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New Zealand’s COVID-19 Tracer app won’t help open a ‘travel bubble’ with Australia anytime soon

<p>New Zealanders finally have access to the government’s new tracing app to help people monitor their movements as lockdown continues to ease.</p> <p>As businesses can now open, the <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-general-public/contact-tracing-covid-19/nz-covid-tracer-app">NZ COVID Tracer app</a> allows people to keep a register of the places they visit. This “digital diary” can be used to contact people if it finds they have been in the same place as someone infected with COVID-19.</p> <p>But the app has some significant shortcomings. These won’t be addressed until at least June, which raises questions about whether it has been released too soon.</p> <p><strong>How do you set up and use the app?</strong></p> <p>Registering for the app is a four-step process. When you sign up for an account you are presented with a privacy statement. This tells you your personal information is securely stored by the Ministry of Health.</p> <p>The app then asks you to enter your email address and pick a password.</p> <p>Some may find the password requirements too difficult to meet, especially if you struggle to remember a password of at least ten characters of mixed lower and uppercase letters and numbers.</p> <p>After entering your email, you will receive a verification code via email to complete the registration.</p> <p>In step 4, the app asks you to enter your name and a phone number. The phone number is not mandatory as I was able to create an account using just my first and last names.</p> <p>An “Account created” message will then appear before you get to a home page with three navigational items:</p> <ul> <li>dashboard (this is the current home page)</li> <li>scan (where you can scan the QR code, I’ll explain why in a moment)</li> <li>my profile (where you can log off, update your contact details and address, provide feedback and access a range of other general services such as privacy and security statements).</li> </ul> <p>By scrolling down the dashboard page, you are presented with features to register your details, update your address and “do a daily self-isolation checking” – this last feature is labelled as coming soon.</p> <p><strong>Two types of registrations?</strong></p> <p>The register option asks you to enter your first name, any middle name, last name, phone number, date of birth, gender and ethnicity.</p> <p>This seems confusing as you must go through two forms of registration. First when registering for an account, as we saw earlier, and second when registering your details here.</p> <p>These two processes should have been streamlined into one. The app also asks for gender and ethnicity details, but the justification provided is too generic, saying this “helps us confirm we are serving all New Zealanders”.</p> <p><strong>So how does the app work?</strong></p> <p>The app helps you keep track of the places you visit, like checking in to a restaurant on Facebook. But this process is not done automatically.</p> <p>To add a place you visit to your digital diary, you must scan a QR code available at that location. It should be in the form of a poster advertised at the entrance of a business.</p> <p>But this means businesses must register for a QR code, via <a href="https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/contact-tracing">Business Connect</a>, and have it clearly advertised at their premises.</p> <p>By scanning the QR code, the app will then log the location, date and time you visit this business. You can’t manually enter the details of places you visit.</p> <p><strong>How will authorities contact you?</strong></p> <p>The information provided during registration will be sent to a National Close Contact Service (NCCS) so it can contact you if you are identified as having been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.</p> <p>An update is expected in June, to allow you to transmit your digital diary of the locations you have visited to the NCCS.</p> <p>Until this function is implemented, if the NCCS contacts you, you will have to read out the locations you have signed into with the app.</p> <p>How will they know if you have been in contact with someone infected? Not via the app but through <a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2005/S00123/nz-covid-tracer-app-released-to-support-contact-tracing.htm">contact tracing procedures</a> already in place. Until the auto upload is implemented, I don’t believe they should have released the app.</p> <p>This approach is a workaround for not using GPS to log your locations, as in the Facebook restaurant check-in scenario. This could be to avoid issues pertaining to location privacy.</p> <p>But this approach has shortcomings.</p> <p>It is not reliable to use in commonly used or open spaces, such as food courts, school entrances, airports, train stations or any other places where you could come in contact with other people. This will require the use of lots of QR codes and lots of scanning.</p> <p>The app is not useful when visiting friends and family. You don’t expect them to have QR codes at their houses, and they can’t actually get one.</p> <p><strong>Comparing the NZ and Australian apps</strong></p> <p>So how does the New Zealand app compare to Australia’s <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqJCL0-XB6QIViw4rCh0XKAWfEAAYASAAEgJyOfD_BwE">COVIDSafe</a> app?</p> <p>The New Zealand app is not scalable to use in Australia as it would require Australian businesses to register for a Business Connect QR code, which they can’t. Likewise, Australia’s app is not for New Zealand.</p> <p>Visitors to either country would need to use the app specific to that country.</p> <p>Countries such as Iceland, Italy and Norway have not shied away from using GPS to track their citizens’ whereabouts. Australia and Singapore opted to use Bluetooth technology for contact tracing without accessing people’s location information.</p> <p>New Zealand has opted for a softer approach to COVID-19 contact tracing by using only a digital diary. But the director-general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, <a href="https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/508335/Bluetooth-functionality-to-be-added-to-contact-tracing-app.htm">told Radio NZ Bluetooth technology</a> should be added as an optional extra feature in June.</p> <p>So, at this stage, the NZ COVID Tracer app seems to be a work in progress. It tries to balance or makes some trade-offs between privacy and usability. But this adds to the burden on businesses (the need to set up QR codes) and limits scope when visiting friends or relatives in New Zealand.</p> <p>On May 5 this year, the New Zealand and Australian prime ministers released a <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/prime-ministers-jacinda-ardern-and-scott-morrison-announce-plans-trans-tasman-covid-safe">joint statement</a> to say they had:</p> <p><em>[…] agreed to commence work on a trans-Tasman COVID-safe travel zone – easing travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand. Such an arrangement would be put in place once it is safe to do so and necessary health, transport and other protocols had been developed and met.</em></p> <p>If the Australian COVIDSafe and NZ COVID Tracer apps are to be part of the solution in opening up travel between the nations, much more work will be needed to make the two apps far more compatible with each other.</p> <p><em>Written by Mahmoud Elkhodr. Republished with permission of </em><a href="/New%20Zealanders%20finally%20have%20access%20to%20the%20government’s%20new%20tracing%20app%20to%20help%20people%20monitor%20their%20movements%20as%20lockdown%20continues%20to%20ease."><em>The Conversation.</em></a></p>

International Travel

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Apps may soon be able to predict your life expectancy, but do you want to know?

<p><em>When will I die?</em></p> <p>This question has endured across cultures and civilisations. It has given rise to a plethora of religions and spiritual paths over thousands of years, and more recently, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/when-will-i-die/id1236569653">some highly amusing apps</a>.</p> <p>But this question now prompts a different response, as technology slowly brings us closer to accurately predicting the answer.</p> <p>Predicting the lifespan of people, or their “Personal Life Expectancy” (PLE) would greatly alter our lives.</p> <p>On one hand, it may have benefits for policy making, and help optimise an individual’s health, or the services they receive.</p> <p>But the potential misuse of this information by the government or private sector poses major risks to our rights and privacy.</p> <p>Although generating an accurate life expectancy is currently difficult, due to the complexity of factors underpinning lifespan, emerging technologies could make this a reality in the future.</p> <p><strong>How do you calculate life expectancy?</strong></p> <p>Predicting life expectancy is not a new concept. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170807-living-in-places-where-people-live-the-longest">Experts do this</a> at a population level by classifying people into groups, often based on region or ethnicity.</p> <p>Also, tools such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23534-9">deep learning</a> and <a href="https://mipt.ru/english/news/scientists_use_ai_to_predict_biological_age_based_on_smartphone_and_wearables_data">artificial intelligence</a> can be used to consider complex variables, such as biomedical data, to predict someone’s biological age.</p> <p>Biological age refers to how “old” their body is, rather than when they were born. A 30-year-old who smokes heavily may have a biological age closer to 40.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/6/3/74/htm">Calculating a life expectancy reliably</a> would require a sophisticated system that considers a breadth of environmental, geographic, genetic and lifestyle factors – <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/oatsih-hpf-2012-toc%7Etier1%7Elife-exp-wellb%7E119">all of which have influence</a>.<span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/healthy-lady-run-away-angel-death-329261456" class="source"></a></span></p> <p>With <a href="https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/machine-learning-healthcare">machine learning</a> and artificial intelligence, it’s becoming feasible to analyse larger quantities of data. The use of deep learning and cognitive computing, such as with <a href="https://www.ibm.com/watson-health">IBM Watson</a>, helps doctors make more accurate diagnoses than using human judgement alone.</p> <p>This, coupled with <a href="https://www.cio.com/article/3273114/what-is-predictive-analytics-transforming-data-into-future-insights.html">predictive analytics</a> and increasing computational power, means we may soon have systems, or even apps, that can calculate life expectancy.</p> <p><strong>There’s an app for that</strong></p> <p>Much like <a href="https://www.mdanderson.org/for-physicians/clinical-tools-resources/clinical-calculators.html">existing tools</a> that predict cancer survival rates, in the coming years we may see apps attempting to analyse data to predict life expectancy.</p> <p>However, they will not be able to provide a “death date”, or even a year of death.</p> <p>Human behaviour and activities are so unpredictable, it’s almost impossible to measure, classify and predict lifespan. A personal life expectancy, even a carefully calculated one, would only provide a “natural life expectancy” based on generic data optimised with personal data.</p> <p>The key to accuracy would be the quality and quantity of data available. Much of this would be taken directly from the user, including gender, age, weight, height and ethnicity.</p> <p>Access to real-time sensor data through fitness trackers and smart watches could also monitor activity levels, heart rate and blood pressure. This could then be coupled with lifestyle information such as occupation, socioeconomic status, exercise, diet and family medical history.</p> <hr /> <p><em> <strong> Read more: <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-local-train-station-can-predict-health-and-death-54946">Your local train station can predict health and death</a> </strong> </em></p> <hr /> <p>All of the above could be used to classify an individual into a generic group to calculate life expectancy. This result would then be refined over time through the analysis of personal data, updating a user’s life expectancy and letting them monitor it.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308303/original/file-20191230-11891-nswi58.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">This figure shows how an individual’s life expectancy might change between two points in time (F and H) following a lifestyle improvement, such as weight loss.</span></p> <p><strong>Two sides of a coin</strong></p> <p>Life expectancy predictions have the potential to be beneficial to individuals, health service providers and governments.</p> <p>For instance, they would make people more aware of their general health, and its improvement or deterioration over time. This may motivate them to make healthier lifestyle choices.</p> <p>They could also be used by insurance companies to provide individualised services, such as how some car insurance companies use <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/dec/16/motoring-myths-black-boxes-telematics-insurance">black-box technology</a> to reduce premiums for more cautious drivers.</p> <p>Governments may be able to use predictions to more efficiently allocate limited resources, such as social welfare assistance and health care funding, to individuals and areas of greater need.</p> <p>That said, there’s a likely downside.</p> <p>People <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/11/the-existential-slap/544790/">may become distressed</a> if their life expectancy is unexpectedly low, or at the thought of having one at all. This raises concerns about how such predictions could impact those who experience or are at risk of mental health problems.</p> <p>Having people’s detailed health data could also let insurance companies more accurately profile applicants, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-08/fitness-tracker-used-to-set-health-insurance-premiums/11287126">leading to discrimination against groups or individuals</a>.</p> <p>Also, pharmaceutical companies could coordinate targeted medical campaigns based on people’s life expectancy. And governments could choose to tax individuals differently, or restrict services for certain people.</p> <p><strong>When will it happen?</strong></p> <p>Scientists have been working on ways to <a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/what-really-drives-higher-life-expectancy-e1c1ec22f6e1">predict human life expectancy</a> for many years.</p> <p>The solution would require input from specialists including demographers, health scientists, data scientists, IT specialists, programmers, medical professionals and statisticians.</p> <p>While the collection of enough data will be challenging, we can likely expect to see advances in this area in the coming years.</p> <p>If so, issues related to data compliance, as well and collaboration with government and state agencies will need to be carefully managed. Any system predicting life expectancy would handle highly sensitive data, raising ethical and privacy concerns.</p> <p>It would also attract cybercriminals, and various other security threats.</p> <p>Moving forward, the words of Jurassic Park’s Dr Ian Malcolm spring to mind:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129068/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> </blockquote> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-jin-kang-903030">James Jin Kang</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-haskell-dowland-382903">Paul Haskell-Dowland</a>, Associate Dean (Computing and Security), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-die-wondering-apps-may-soon-be-able-to-predict-your-life-expectancy-but-do-you-want-to-know-129068">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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Must end soon! The catch with time-limited sales tactics

<p>You may be getting a lot of emails offering you attractive discounts for a short period only. You may see flash sales or special deals that exhort you to “buy now” to avoid missing out.</p> <p>These digital “time-limited” offers, as they are called, are actually an old sales tactic.</p> <p>Those in the game of selling cars, for example, have long used the trick of alluding to that other very interested buyer who’s likely to return and snap up the bargain that’s before you. Telephone salespeople routinely offer deals that must be accepted during the call. Want time to think about it? Too bad.</p> <p>Online time-limited sales work on the same basis, but with technology taking it to a whole new level. Now retailers can bombard you with offers that are highly customised and super-short – a deal, perhaps, for something you might have been searching online for, and now available at a discount only until midnight.</p> <p>But for these tactics to work, our research suggests, requires finding a Goldilocks zone between being too pushy and not all. Time needs to be limited to deter you from searching elsewhere for a better deal. But paradoxically you also need enough time to convince yourself that buying is the best decision.</p> <p><strong>Experimenting with time limits</strong></p> <p>To find out what makes time-limited offers effective, I and my colleagues Robert Sugden and Mengjie Wang from the University of East Anglia <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2019.09.008">ran experiments</a> to see what leads people to accept or reject such offers.</p> <p>What we found is that these offers leverage risk-aversion. That is, the more you dislike risk, the more likely it is you will take the bait and buy now.</p> <p>In our experiments, using university students, we asked participants to complete 30 “price search” tasks. These tasks involved giving participants a “budget” and asking them to buy a product from six different price offers, shown to them sequentially with a few seconds between each. Any unspent money they got to keep.</p> <p>In half of the tasks they could consider all six offers before making their choice. In the other half, one of the first three offers would be time-limited, lapsing after either four or 12 seconds, which they could only accept before the next offer appeared.</p> <p>We also varied, when participants accepted a time-limited offer, between showing them no more offers or showing all remaining offers immediately. This was to test if greater feedback (increasing the possibility of regret) reduced the probability of a time-limited offer being chosen.</p> <p>Participants then did 15 related risk-taking tasks based on their choices in the tasks with time-limited options. This helped us determine what was going on with their choices.</p> <p><strong>A time paradox</strong></p> <p>Overall our results point to choosing time-limited options being linked to risk aversion. People generally prefer to secure a certain cake now over the uncertain possibility of a better cake in the future. We really do believe the old proverb that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.</p> <p>But there was a catch – and a big one. Somewhat paradoxically, people also need to think things through to jump on the time-limited offer. Time-limited offers were accepted more when participants had 12 seconds to decide rather than four seconds.</p> <p>This indicates people need enough time to reflect on the task to decide they are better off going for the “safe” deal.</p> <p>As we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268119302823?via%3Dihub#sec0008">warn in our paper</a>, one should be wary about extrapolating too directly from laboratory behaviour to real markets, but our results suggest time-limited offers do not rely on limits to the consumers’ ability to make a rational decision. When they work it is because they are mechanisms of search deterrence – restricting the consumers’ opportunities to compare available offers – amplified by risk aversion.</p> <p>So businesses may be shooting themselves in the foot when they create offers that are too short, too pushy. If you’re like most people, you need time to reflect on the risk of not buying. If the offer is too fast and furious, you’re likely to just be turned off.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124897/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-zizzo-125561">Daniel Zizzo</a>, Professor and Academic Dean of the School of Economics, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/must-end-soon-but-not-too-soon-the-catch-in-time-limited-sales-tactics-124897">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Why this beautiful text message a soon-to-be husband sent his ex-girlfriend has gone viral

<p>A text message sent from a soon-to-be husband to his ex-girlfriend a day before his wedding has gained worldwide attention, but for all the right reasons.</p> <p>Most messages sent from exes are usually a drunk slip up, but this time it’s different, as the groom chose to issue a sincere and sweet thank you, sent with his fiancée’s permission, for teaching him how to love.</p> <p>Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Alexsa Sanchez Aguilar shared the message she received from her ex-boyfriend and it didn’t take long for the exchange to go viral.</p> <p>People have responded by admiring the man’s emotional maturity, but there are others who are doubting his motives.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">i-<br />i’m speechless <a href="https://t.co/i2EAiER60z">pic.twitter.com/i2EAiER60z</a></p> — 𝙻𝚎𝚡 ♡ (@_xolexc) <a href="https://twitter.com/_xolexc/status/1152442724705918976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The message starts off by letting her know that his fiancée is aware of the text, and that, “I’m getting married tomorrow. I wanted to send you this message.”</p> <p>He then thanked Aguilar for helping him during his journey through depression and for keeping him out of trouble. He wrote: “I know we were only kids when we dated but you taught me what love is.”</p> <p>“My point in all of this is, you are the reason why I know how to love someone. You taught me love, you taught me how to deal with my anger, how to deal with my depression and how to live life to the fullest and I’m grateful for you. I wish you love and happiness,” he said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">This has to be the most beautiful thing Ive read. Shout out to both of y'all for being such damn good people.</p> — Nickolas Rey Tamez (@nickolas_rey) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickolas_rey/status/1152597271936229378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">m a t u r i t y <a href="https://t.co/hwI5MgLRqe">pic.twitter.com/hwI5MgLRqe</a></p> — jossy 💛 (@josselynxoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/josselynxoo/status/1152642328621830144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Everyone comes into your life for a reason and each relationship you’re in, good/bad, should help teach and mold you to be a “perfect” partner for your future mate. I think this was sweet and I’m sure well deserved. Cheers to being adults and expressing emotions healthily. 💕</p> — Sasha Feliciano (@sashmophoto) <a href="https://twitter.com/sashmophoto/status/1152711795666313216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Idk man if I was the new girl I’d be a little weirded out that you wanted to send a paragraph to ur ex girlfriend &amp; express your feelings.. in my opinion, that’s weird.</p> — bratty at it’s finest (@masonrain_) <a href="https://twitter.com/masonrain_/status/1152596074625978368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>And thankfully Aguilar didn’t leave people hanging and shared her response to the message in a separate tweet.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">for everyone asking me what i replied to, this is what i replied. i was literally speechless an didn’t know what to say but that’s what i said . <a href="https://t.co/Zwkh0iAr2i">pic.twitter.com/Zwkh0iAr2i</a></p> — 𝙻𝚎𝚡 ♡ (@_xolexc) <a href="https://twitter.com/_xolexc/status/1153091666242199552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">21 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>"First [off], congratulations on all your beautiful blessings that are coming your way," she began. </p> <p>"[I] am so unbelievably proud of you, you did everything you put your mind into... [I'm] happy you found the woman you want forever with... [Your] fiancé is such a beautiful soul, and you have such a beautiful daughter... [I] wish you and your beautiful family nothing but beautiful blessings."</p> <p>Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/" target="_blank"><em>Buzzfeed</em></a>, Aguilar explained that there is no animosity between her and her ex who she says is a great man. Sometimes relationships don’t work out, but the two helped each other through a tough time when they were young, and she will forever appreciate the bond they shared.</p> <p>"We lost a best friend to suicide, and we helped each other heal," Aguilar said. "I feel like no matter what happens, he and I will forever have respect towards each other."</p>

Relationships

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Coming soon to Netflix: Neil Gaiman's popular comic book series

<p><span>Fans of Neil Gaiman rejoice – one more of his work is set to be adapted for the screen.</span></p> <p><span>After more than three years of failed attempts to make a screen adaptation, Netflix has finally acquired <em>The Sandman </em>for a live-action TV series in a reportedly “massive” deal with Warner Bros.</span></p> <p><span>Throughout the years, attempts to adapt the popular horror fantasy comic book series – which has been running since 1989 – have floundered. The most recent was in 2016, when a plan to produce a feature film directed by <em>Third Rock From The Sun</em> star  Joseph Gordon-Levitt dissolved. </span></p> <p><span>According to the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sandman-tv-series-neil-gaiman-david-goyer-a-go-at-netflix-1220761"><em>Hollywood Reporter</em></a>, industry insiders said the show will become “the most expensive TV series that DC Entertainment has ever done”.</span></p> <p><span>Gaiman will be involved in the show as an executive producer along with <em>Wonder Woman </em>(2017) screenwriter Allan Heinberg and <em>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice </em>(2016) screenwriter David S. Goyer. </span></p> <p><span>“We’re thrilled to partner with the brilliant team that is Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg to finally bring Neil’s iconic comic book series, <em>The Sandman</em>, to life onscreen,” said Channing Dungey, VP of original series at Netflix. </span></p> <p><span>“From its rich characters and storylines to its intricately built-out worlds, we’re excited to create an epic original series that dives deep into this multi-layered universe beloved by fans around the world.”  </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Are you prepared to meet the Lord of Dreams? THE SANDMAN is officially coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@netflix</a>! Head here for more: <a href="https://t.co/zlamTMHen0">https://t.co/zlamTMHen0</a> <a href="https://t.co/zQbgXKdrZX">pic.twitter.com/zQbgXKdrZX</a></p> — DC (@DCComics) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCComics/status/1145836913078755328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span>The show, which will have 11 episodes in its first season, was described as “a rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven”.</span></p>

Books

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Travelling soon? Never do this with electronic items when boarding a flight

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many travellers when going on a plane take a variety of electronic items with them, including mobile phones, iPads, laptops, Kindles … the list never ends.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, there is one thing you should never do whilst boarding a plane with your devices.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The current travel advice stipulates that you should never travel with any electronic items that have no battery left and cannot be turned on.</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_au"><span style="font-weight: 400;">British Airways </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">describes essential hand luggage packing tips on their website.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">BA states: “Charge any electrical or battery-powered devices such as phones, tablets, e-books and laptops. Airport security might ask you to switch them on.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is also the case in the USA, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would not allow mobile phones or other electronic devices on US-bound planes unless travellers were able to turn them on at the request of security staff. This was announced in 2014.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was ruled that anyone who had a powerless device would be barred from boarding their US flight and would have to reschedule the flight, even if the passenger offered to give up the item or send it separately.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The UK Department of Transport (DfT) quickly followed suit, saying:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In line with the US advice, passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Passengers flying into or out of the UK are therefore advised to make sure electronic devices being carried in their hand luggage are charged before they travel."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Domestic flights within Australia and New Zealand have not been impacted by this change, but as it affects a wide range of airlines, including British Airways, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Emirates and Delta as well as other carriers that fly to, from and via the UK and US, it’s better to be safe instead of sorry.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Why Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach could soon be underwater

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hawaii’s islands and the iconic Waikiki Beach is under threat due to rising sea levels caused by climate change.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State politicians have predicted that Honolulu will start experiencing frequent flooding within the next 15 to 20 years and are working hard to pass legislation that includes a coastline protection program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This program would cost millions of dollars and is aimed at defending the city from regular tidal inundations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The highest tides of recent years have sent seawater flowing across Waikiki Beach and onto roads and footpaths.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Naturally, this is an alarming scenario for a state that makes its money from beach tourism.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The latest data on sea level rise is quite scary and it’s accelerating faster than we ever thought possible,” said state Representative Chris Lee, a Democrat and lead author of a bill calling for the creation and implementation of the shoreline protection plan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The loss of coastal property and infrastructure, increased cost for storm damage and insurance, and loss of life are inevitable if nothing is done, which will add a significant burden to local taxpayers, the state’s economy, and way of life,” says Lee’s bill.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bill proposes sinking $USD4 million ($AUD5.6 million) into the program’s development over the next two years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The push for action comes after a state-mandated sea level rise adaptation report was made public. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research from the report suggested that Hawaii will see a 0.9 metre rise in ocean levels by the end of this century. The research also predicted that more than 6,000 of the state’s buildings and 20,000 people across the islands of Hawaii will experience chronic flooding.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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The exciting new products coming soon from Apple

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple announced three subscription services as it searches for new areas of revenue growth. This is to compensate for stalling iPhone sales. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The three products that were announced are:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple TV / Apple TV+</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple News+</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A titanium credit card</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple TV+ is Apple’s answer to Netflix, as it allows users to view original video content that has been produced by Apple. There are 34 different TV shows and movie productions in the works. No price point has been announced for the subscription service.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple News+ is a paid tier of the Apple News app that includes magazine content for $10 a month. Magazines that you know, and love are included in the service, including </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wired</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">National Geographic</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The titanium credit card is only available in the US, but people are intrigued. It’s called Apple Card.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the reason behind a credit card to </span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/25/apple-spring-tv-and-news-event-live-coverage.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We saw an opportunity to transform another fundamental form of payment, and that's the credit card."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, many are left wondering whether or not Apple have lost the creative edge that put them on top.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the products were announced, some were unimpressed. Swinburne University digital media expert Belinda Barnet explained that Apple should have set their sights a little higher instead of trying to take on Netflix.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People were expecting flying cars and a new iPhone but [the online content-focused launch] could be very significant in that Apple may be intending to take on a company like Amazon,” Dr Barnet said to </span><a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2019/03/26/apple-online-streaming-launch/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Daily</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I don’t think Netflix is the end game here. Just look at the market cap of the companies to see who the real competitor is.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With another announcement from Apple announcing the Apple Arcade – which aims to curate many of the games available on the App Store into a subscription service – it’s clear that Apple aren’t messing around anymore.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A company like Apple does know everything about you but has never shared it,” Dr Barnet explained. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So their tactic might be to leverage their dominance in terms of data – they certainly know more about you than Amazon does – with privacy absolutely central to their brand as opposed to all these other players.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What do you think about the Apple launch? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

Technology

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PINs will soon become obsolete

<p>We’re unlocking our mobile phones with our thumbprints and getting through border control with eye scans, and it seems our credit cards might be the next big thing swapping traditional security methods for biometric technology.</p> <p>Credit card giant Visa has announced it is currently working on the introduction of thumbprint, voice, retina and even heartbeat data as the newest way to authorise transactions.</p> <p>“Australians are not only tech-hungry but they’re very savvy in terms of how to use that technology,” Rob Walls, head of product at Visa Australia, told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/banking/visa-paves-way-for-biometric-payments/news-story/852e3a603334f2735d90f421da78cd34" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">news.com.au</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“We see the penetration of smartphones, internet banking and paywave — Australia leads the way in paywave adoption. You’re starting to see new devices and payments experiences coming into the market. Australians are increasingly using Siri as part of their engagement, ordering a pizza for example.”</p> <p>The proposed changes come after a YouGov poll commissioned by Visa found that 56 per cent of respondents would be happy to use biometric data to make a payment. 45 per cent said the technology appealed to them as being more secure, and 40 per cent liked the idea of no longer having to remember a PIN or password.</p> <p>“Industry research suggests eight out of 10 people are using the same PIN across the majority of their payment cards,” Walls revealed. “In 2020, the average consumer will have more than 200 passwords they have to remember.”</p> <p>Unfortunately, Walls believes this will only heighten the risk of card details being stolen. “To remove that risk, we can push that authentication to something that’s more natural and unique to the consumer, such as a retina scan, a thumbprint or heartbeat. There will be no more fumbling for your wallet, pushing in a 16-digit card number.”</p> <p>Are you for or against the new idea? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.</p>

Retirement Income