Amazon Says It's No Longer Using NDAs for Data Centers The company announced it will stop using secret agreements with county officials and acknowledges community backlash could lead to data center "moratoriums" across the country. Amazon has made a series of new public commitments to communities where it's building data centers, including making an official announcement that it no longer uses nondisclosure agreements in its arrangements with county officials. In a blog post published Friday, CEO Matt Garman detailed the steps the company says it's already taking around data centers. In addition to stopping the use of NDAs, Garman says $1 billion will be invested over the next five years in communities that house the company's data centers. The money will go toward free community college programs, workforce training, and energy efficiency upgrades for schools, homes, and community buildings.

Mashable Selects Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more In My Bag Look Up Creator Playbook Say More AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series The internet goes after Flock CEO's personal information as backlash continues Being a Flock employee is becoming a liability. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Internet users call for trick-or-treaters to egg the Flock CEO's house. Flock CEO Garrett Langley is avoiding the public. Last week, as individuals testified to Flock's flaws in front of the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, Langley stayed home.

Democracy blindsides Silicon Valley's power players looking to transform the world with AI'The push against datacenters speaks to the frustration of people who don't feel they are making the choices in their lives' The Stanford ethicist Rob Reich was once invited to a dinner organized by a Silicon Valley mogul to discuss what a state designed to maximize science and tech powered by commercial models might look like. The gathered technologists were drawn to the idea of building a small nation-state dedicated to the endeavor, Reich recalls in " System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot it". When Reich asked whether this state would be a democracy, he got a cool no. "Democracy is too slow, and it holds science back," he was told. "To optimize for science, we need a beneficent technocrat in charge."

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more AI at School Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Safety Net Versus Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series Blackpink's Lisa gives Meta's AI smart glasses a major high-fashion makeover -- where to buy K-pop icon and global fashion powerhouse Lisa partners with Meta on a high-fashion smart glasses drop that blends runway style with hands-free AI. Soumya is a deals writer who covers consumer tech, shopping deals, and the products people use every day. With experience writing about everything from AI tools and software to smartphones and home gadgets, she enjoys breaking down product research into clear, useful recommendations. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually comparing products, digging through reviews, and figuring out what actually makes a purchase worth it. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.

AI at School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Safety Net Versus Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series Meta's first glasses without a camera headline a Connect keynote that also brought hearing aid features and new Ray-Bans. Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and . Meta wants its smart glasses to help you hear, and it's dropping the camera altogether.

AI at School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Safety Net Versus Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series Sam Yam will lead creator products, with more details expected at DevDay. Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter.

AI at School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Safety Net Versus Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series Public opinion has turned against smart glasses, which puts Meta and Zuckerberg in an awkward position. Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men's grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he's also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.

As dozens of cities end contracts for its controversial license plate readers, Flock is rolling out a voluntary severance program, WIRED has learned. Flock Safety announced a voluntary employee separation program on Friday, offering a "generous" severance package to those who want to leave amid growing backlash against the surveillance technology company, according to an internal email shared with WIRED. Applications for Flock's voluntary severance program opened Friday, and employees have until October 2 to decide whether to leave the company. Flock expects to grant buyouts to the majority of workers who apply, according to the email. People familiar with the program but not authorized to discuss it publicly say they believe that a significant number of the startup's roughly 1,500 employees may try to depart.

Ryan Clark again accuses ESPN of leaking his firing to OutKick: Here's the real story Steve Sarkisian says he should have shown'more patience' after running from Holly Rowe interview Bills cruise past Lions to christen new home behind Josh Allen's five-touchdown performance Patriots' TreVeyon Henderson explains siding with family over DCF in custody dispute involving gender identity Colin Kaepernick accuses NFL of'colluding' against Macklemore amid'Free Palestine' controversy Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger quietly rolls back Youngkin's plans to protect girls' sports Human vs. ChatGPT NFL Week 2 betting picks: AI looks to rebound after disastrous 0-5 debut NBA star Kyrie Irving jumps into NFL drama, offers to pay player's fine for Gaza-themed eye black NFL's highest-paid TE George Kittle reveals favorite purchase: A 50-foot flagpole for a massive American flag Bill Belichick would like you to know that his 25-year-old girlfriend isn't running things at UNC Bijan Robinson believes Texas' comeback over Ohio State can change entire season trajectory Barstool chief Dave Portnoy blasts Macklemore's shady past, strongly supports Patriots owner Robert Kraft Lane Kiffin's return to Ole Miss comes with betrayal, lawsuits and memories of him trying to burn it all down Paige Spiranac and her'cans' go to bat for Sydney Sweeney, Ole Miss-LSU gets nasty & UF alumni speak out Iran's AI-powered cyber threat sparks alarm over US infrastructure Raman would'catastrophically' push LA over the edge if elected: Former Trump campaign official'Gutfeld!': Tirade at 30K feet left him taped to a seat We have'no idea' about long-term effects of Chinese pesticides at Cali pot grows: Ex-DEA chief OutKick Sports Sophie Cunningham says what other gaslighting female athletes won't about the naked Sydney Sweeney ad The WNBA player said on her podcast that women athletes shouldn't be upset over the Novig campaign Sweeney created Media Research Center content creator Brittany Hughes weighs in on the liberal backlash surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney's latest ad for sports betting app Novig on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. After a full week of women athletes fuming at Sydney Sweeney for, apparently, setting women's sports back decades with her naked gambling ad, Sophie Cunningham has set the record straight. And, to the surprise of approximately nobody, the WNBA's most sane player offered up the most sane take of this entire, silly ordeal. Cunningham asked on her newly revamped, No Hesitation podcast.

Flock Once Touted Its Cameras as'Made in the USA.' Now It's Not So Clear Flock reveals little about where its license plate readers are assembled, but the answer could have geopolitical and cybersecurity implications. Flock CEO Garrett Langley has said the company made its first license plate cameras in his Atlanta home, permanently scratching his dining table with drill marks. A decade later, where the company assembles its signature--and fiercely debated --product has become more of a mystery. For years, Flock touted publicly that its devices were produced in the United States. But more recent marketing materials from the company reviewed by WIRED no longer specify where its cameras come from. One US manufacturer that previously identified Flock as a customer quietly removed a mention of the company from its website earlier this year as public backlash against the company's surveillance technology grew.