Software developers “have made demonstrable progress at recognizing masked faces” using face-scanning technology, the National Institute of Standards and Technology reported Tuesday (see 2007270065). The highest scoring technology made errors between 2.4 and 5% of the time on masked faces, "comparable to where the technology was in 2017 on nonmasked photos,” said NIST study author Mei Ngan. Error rates dropped by as much as a “factor of 10 between their pre- and post-COVID algorithms,” she said. NIST tested technology from Canon, Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and dozens of others.

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. companies experienced layoffs, furloughs or facility closures due to the pandemic, and 92% instructed employees to work from home, Salary.com reported Monday. The workforce data analytics firm canvassed nearly 1,400 companies of various sizes across 21 industries Aug. 8-Sept. 23, finding 61% imposed salary freezes for all employees and 47% initiated pay cuts. Only 13% reported “their current level of turnover has led to missed production and delivery timelines,” it said. "While the pandemic's unprecedented impact on corporate America cannot be denied, this survey demonstrates that the mix of employee actions taken, and no doubt tremendous resiliency among employees, has led to a relatively low level of production delays."

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., led filing of the Enabling Extra Time to Extend Network Deployment (Extend) Act to allow states to use funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund created in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (see 2003260063) to pay for grants for broadband deployment in “unserved areas.” The measure would extend to Dec. 31, 2021, the deadline for spending Cares Act money allocated “to a provider of broadband internet access service for the deployment of infrastructure for the provision of such service.” The would measure bar municipal broadband services from accessing the funding. “The COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the critical need for efficient and reliable rural broadband,” Aderholt said. “Since Congress has passed stimulus funding for Coronavirus relief, I believe states should be allowed to use that money to address this dire need.” He’s “hopeful that this legislation will set a precedent for future funding bills.” Lawmakers disagree whether to include dedicated broadband funding in future pandemic aid measures, with Democrats pushing the Senate to enact the House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act (HR-8406), which includes more than $15 billion in broadband funding (see 2009290044).

Gartner identified “digital dexterity,” workforce automation via artificial intelligence, and hybrid work with a distributed employee base as key future-of-work trends confronting chief information officers. Technology to promote collaboration is more important than ever, said Gartner. It estimates 48% of employees globally will work remotely post-pandemic, compared with 30% before: Organizations should “expand their hybrid worker population to enable more flexibility of workforce management, both for cost savings and to address temporary absences.”

Having transitioned to a cloud-based, recurring-revenue model from a traditional software license offering, Autodesk is able to monitor cloud usage “across the globe and see the positive correlation between increasing usage levels and new business growth in those regions,” said CEO Andrew Anagnost on a Q3 investor call Tuesday. China, South Korea, Japan and most of Europe had cloud usage in the quarter rise above their pre-pandemic levels, he said. “Usage trends in the U.S. and U.K. have not yet returned to pre-COVID levels, while they have stabilized in the U.S.,” and grew sequentially from Q2 in the U.K., he said.

Fifty-seven percent of consumers believe there’s more risk of identity theft this year due to COVID-19, Experian reported Friday. Some 18% have been affected by a coronavirus-related scam. And 28% would risk being a victim for a good Cyber Monday deal, up from 19% last year. Just under half of the 1,000 adult consumers surveyed Oct. 29-Nov. 5 shop on protected internet connections; 47% check to see if websites are secure.

BJ’s Wholesale Club expanded its assortment in Q3 in categories “where we were historically underpenetrated,” including “select consumer electronics” segments, said CEO Lee Delaney on a Thursday investor call. BJ’s timed its Black Friday deals to start earlier in November with “an enhanced focus on relevant categories,” including consumer tech, he said. “We feel great about our holiday assortment.” Online sales grew about 200% from the 2019 quarter, with three-quarters of the growth coming from the buy online, pick up in club offering, he said. “The growth in our digital platforms continues to surpass our expectations.” Online sales through 2020's first nine months were four times higher than in all of 2019, he said. Same-store general merchandise and services sales grew 13% in the quarter, “driven by strong sales of TVs, computer equipment and other home-related categories,” said Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Bob Eddy. He expects in Q4 BJ's will incur up to $35 million in COVID-19 costs, mainly from health, safety and sanitation protocols and staff incentive bonuses. “The current environment remains challenging and unpredictable,” said Eddy. “It remains extremely difficult for us to forecast how the fourth quarter or next year will play out in great specificity.” BJ’s hopes that “with the election behind us,” a new pandemic stimulus package “may have the potential to gain more momentum in Washington,” he said. “While we’ve had some good news in the race for a vaccine, it will most likely take many months to get enough people inoculated to improve the public health crisis.” Delaney has "no doubt" the pandemic is causing customers "to seek out value," he said. "The hope is as we move into the winter months, the public health crisis is more controlled, although that doesn’t seem terribly well aligned with the headlines and where we’re heading."

“We have seen this digital divide morph into a monstrous COVID-19 divide," said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks told the Rainbow Push Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund. The industry and agency’s failure to create inclusive policies are worsening the pandemic for Americans who were struggling when it hit, Starks said. “It is time -- in fact, it is past time -- for the tech and telecom sector to take account for issues of equity and fairness,” he said Thursday. Starks cited disparities in how COVID-19 affects minorities and how improved tech and telecom policy could address those problems by providing better access to telehealth and improving access to broadband to help Black-owned businesses digitize. “A disproportionate number of people of color do not have a home broadband connection,” Starks said. “The FCC must meet its obligation to promote ownership by women and people of color,” he said. He noted an NPRM on circulation (see 2010280062) would change FM booster rules to allow for geotargeted FM radio content that he said “holds the promise” to promote minority ownership. “It has the potential to provide a method for stations owned by socially disadvantaged groups to better serve their communities, create opportunities for small businesses to advertise in a more cost effective manner to a targeted audience, and for FM stations owned by people of color and women to increase advertising revenue,” Starks said. The NPRM “will soon be released,” he said.

Students learning English as a second language and those receiving special education services had difficulty fully participating in distance learning services that school districts adopted in spring 2020 due to COVID-19, GAO reported Thursday. It reviewed plans from 15 school districts: four in cities or towns, five in suburban areas and six in rural areas. English learners and their families had difficulty because of “a lack of necessary technology, language barriers, and the demands of meeting basic family needs,” GAO said. “English learners lost opportunities to practice their language skills, according to school district officials and representatives of professional associations. Also, limited English comprehension affected the ability of families to assist students with the curriculum.” Some districts “addressed aspects of these challenges by, for example, increasing access to the internet and devices and adapting materials and instructional methods,” the auditor said. One "district partnered with a Spanish language TV network to broadcast curriculum for an hour every day. However, many of the major challenges with engaging English learners in distance education remained.” Barriers included “the wide range of needs of students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA); the services specified in their individualized education programs; and the capacity of parents or caregivers to assist teachers and service providers in delivering general education, specialized instruction, and related services to their children,” GAO said. “Delivering related services -- such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy -- for students with complex needs was particularly difficult to do remotely.” Officials “addressed some challenges by modifying instruction, holding virtual meetings with parents, and encouraging collaboration between general and special education teachers,” the auditor said. “Officials from two districts told us they are considering using virtual meetings after returning to in-person education.”

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Disney to BBB+ from A- because its theme park and studio operations “continue to be severely affected" by COVID-19. Consumers “will likely remain reluctant to immediately return to public venues” even after a vaccine is widely available, S&P said Wednesday: The company is aggressively rolling out its global direct-to-consumer streaming platforms and investing in new content, “which will depress operating and cash flow measures for the next few years.” Disney didn’t comment.