Roku pulled back its 2020 financial outlook, citing economic uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It expects Q1 revenue to be slightly higher than projected due to effects of sheltering at home that began late in the quarter, with other metrics generally in line with the prior outlook.
Best Buy temporarily suspended its recycling and trade-in program at stores where it’s operating curbside service during the COVID-19 outbreak. The retailer notes in its position statement on sustainability that to date it has collected more than 2 billion pounds of electronics and appliances as part of its recycling efforts. In a Thursday blog post, Best Buy broke out a category of eco-friendly products said to promote sustainability as part of a wider initiative toward reducing carbon emissions and sourcing renewable energy. Among the products it identified as sustainable were solar panels and kits, power stations and headlamps; electric bikes, scooters and hoverboards that don’t use fuel; smart thermostats, shower fixtures and bidets that conserve energy and natural resources; and Energy Star-certified products. By fixing “everything from computers to major appliances,” Best Buy helps extend the life of products, it said, and it offers customers gift cards and discounts as a reward for responsibly managing their old tech products through trade-in. Last year, the tech retailer set a target to reduce its carbon footprint by 75% by 2030 from a 2009 baseline.
The Commerce Department emailed us Friday it "appreciates the productive ongoing collaboration with the [FCC] and other Federal agencies on orbital debris requirements. Work, such as that through the Commerce-led Interagency Working Group ... on Commercial Orbital Debris Requirements, will support responsible U.S. investment, innovation, and operation in space." It said it will review the FCC's orbital debris draft order put out Thursday (see 2004020062). Commerce previously suggested the agency pause the rules update proceeding.
While the Commerce Department had suggested the FCC pause its orbital debris rules update (see 1904080033), there's no time to wait, according to the 119-page draft order the commission released Thursday in advance of the April 23 meeting. The April agenda also has media items on increasing video description requirements and relaxing interference restrictions for low-power FM.
COVID-19 could reprioritize two California telecom funds. The California Public Utilities Commission sought comment Thursday on how it can respond to the pandemic using the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). In prehearing statements due that day on a possible overhaul to California LifeLine that could shift support to broadband, some urged focus on increasing participation of especially vulnerable low-income residents.
Alphabet's Project Baseline by Verily reached capacity and can't schedule more coronavirus testing "at this time," said its website Wednesday. Appointments will continue to expand through this program as Verily scales capacity "in the near future," it said. It referred visitors to CDC guidelines. Google sister company Verily posted Monday that Project Baseline was working to deliver COVID-19 testing in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California to the "highest risk populations as defined by the California Department of Public Health." Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area interested in getting tested were directed to an online screener, which appeared to exclude people who showed symptoms of COVID-19. Last week, President Donald Trump hailed a screening website Google was building, receiving widespread criticism for exaggerating its readiness. Sunday Google blogged it was working with the U.S. government on developing a website dedicated to COVID-19 education, prevention and local resources nationwide. That website hadn't launched Wednesday.
Alphabet's Project Baseline by Verily reached capacity and can't schedule more coronavirus testing "at this time," said its website Wednesday. Appointments will continue to expand through this program as Verily scales capacity "in the near future," it said. It referred visitors to CDC guidelines. Google sister company Verily posted Monday that Project Baseline was working to deliver COVID-19 testing in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California to the "highest risk populations as defined by the California Department of Public Health." Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area interested in getting tested were directed to an online screener, which appeared to exclude people who showed symptoms of COVID-19. Last week, President Donald Trump hailed a screening website Google was building, receiving widespread criticism for exaggerating its readiness. Sunday Google blogged it was working with the U.S. government on developing a website dedicated to COVID-19 education, prevention and local resources nationwide. That website hadn't launched Wednesday.
Some communications stakeholders are on board with calls to halt retransmission consent blackouts for the next 60 days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuesday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai made such a request, and ACA Connects quickly endorsed it. NAB CEO Gordon Smith in Q&A with us Wednesday made a similar request and supported broadcasters doing their part. After he spoke, some cable operators made similar comments.
After a broadcast tower company suspended work for two weeks because of the novel coronavirus, the FCC announced Tuesday it will allow stations that can’t meet the upcoming phase 9 deadline because of COVID-19-related delays to shift to the next phase (see 2003170023). Phase 10, which begins May 3, is scheduled to be the final phase of the repacking.
Sennheiser bowed $299 true wireless headphones with active noise cancellation Friday. The Momentum True Wireless 2 has seven-hour playback, which stretches to 28 hours using the supplied case, said the company. The earbuds incorporate Apple Siri and Google Assistant; a smart pause feature halts audio playback when the earbuds are removed and resumes when they're placed back in the ears. Availability is April.