The flexibility that default policy for std::async permits both async and sync task execution leads to uncertainty when accessing thread_locals, implies that the task may never execute, and affects program logic for timeout-based wait calls.

Thread-based programming calls for manual management of thread exhaustion, oversubscription, load balancing, and adaptation to new platforms, while task-based programming via std::async with the default launch policy handles most of the issues for us.

Lambdas are more readable, more expressive, and may be more efficient than using std::bind.

C++14 introduces generic lambdas, which use auto in their parameter specifications.

Use init capture to move objects into closures in C++14; emulate init capture via hand-written classes or std::bind in C++11.