Amazon says it will stop using NDAs when negotiating data center deals with local governments, following a similar move from Microsoft earlier this year. Secrecy has fueled community backlash against AI infrastructure, with opposition leading to hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums from New York to San Francisco. Meanwhile, a wave of startups is betting that consumers will hand AI agents access to their inboxes, files, and credit cards — if they can get websites to let them in.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Anthony Ha, Sean O’Kane, and Rebecca Bellan dig into whether ditching NDAs will change how data center deals get done, why trust may be the real product for personal AI startups, plus a couple of deals of the week.

We’ll see you next week at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026! Get 25% off your tickets with code Equity25, and we’ll see you on the Builders Stage Tuesday at 9 am.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

0:55 Trump’s “superintelligence force” and the great AI rebranding

3:19 Amazon drops NDAs on data center deals

9:17 Why the AI industry has a communication problem

12:51 Personal AI agents: finding money in your inbox

15:27 Ghost’s $3,500 computer built for personal AI

19:16 Trust is the product: privacy-first agent startups

27:36 Lambda’s $4B raise and the neo cloud backlog problem

31:22 Uber’s $2.3B move into catering

35:10 Outro

Apple has a ‘Welcome Home’ event on Tuesday, and we’re expecting big changes coming to smart home products, including a new countertop Hub, HomePod mini speakers and Apple TV 4K box. Bridget Carey breaks down the rumors and what has her excited.

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple 2022 Apple TV 4K Wi‑Fi + Ethernet with 128GB Storage (3rd Generation)
Apple HomePod mini – Orange (Refurbished)
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Read more about Apple’s Welcome Home event on CNET.com
I’m Way Too Excited for Apple’s Home Event and How It Will Level Up My Siri Experience
Apple Announces Next ‘Welcome Home’ Special Event on Oct. 13

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 A new HomePod is coming
1:05 Hidden Apple code shows new HomePod Mini 2 colors
1:36 HomePod Mini 2 chip upgrades
1:49 Living in a world with 2 Siris
2:02 Smarter Siri for new Apple HomePods
2:25 Apple brings HomePod Mini surround sound into the home theater
2:36 Could a new Apple TV 4K box be on the way?
2:48 New Apple TV 4K box details
2:54 Apple TV 4K hardware upgrades
3:26 Are we getting a new Apple TV remote?
3:42 Here comes the HomeHub speaker with a screen
3:53 Apple HomeHub details from Bloomberg’s reporting
4:11 HomeHub screen could minic iPhone Duo
4:24 How will a HomeHub contribute to the smart home?
4:36 Possible HomeHub versions
4:52 Countertop HomeHub design
5:05 More smart home devices expected from Apple
5:23 Snoopy and the HomeHub
5:54 Are you ready for Apple’s new smart home products?

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Carly Marsh, Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey, CNET Archive
Video Editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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#apple #appleevent #applehome #applehomekit #smarthome

Watch Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the Windows team introduce the next era for the OS, including more trustworthy AI agents, the Surface Laptop Ultra and Nvidia-powered laptops and PCs for creators and developers.

Read more about the Windows Event on CNET.com
Surface Laptop Ultra Preorders: Everything Announced at Microsoft’s Windows and Surface Event

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Agent 365, Microsoft IQ, and Copilot
1:22 Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) & Agent Containment
2:32 Agent Identity, Observability & Enterprise Management
3:32 Microsoft Defender Agent Security & Risk Containment
4:58 Hybrid Intelligence & Local Model Execution
5:45 MAI Code 1.1 Flash & Local Model Compression
6:34 New Windows 11 Taskbar Search & Quick Actions
7:45 Copilot App Integration & Native App Creation
9:10 Copilot Autopilot: Autonomous File & Email Workflows
11:00 Surface Laptop Ultra Announcement & Performance
11:56 NVIDIA RTX Spark & Gaming Announcements
12:20 Surface Laptop Ultra Hardware Specs & Magnetic USB-C
13:48 Surface RTX Spark DevBox & Pre-Orders
14:13 RTX Spark Laptop Ecosystem (Lenovo, ASUS, Dell, MSI, HP)
15:10 NVIDIA DGX Station for Windows & Desk-Side AI Performance

Video Credits:
Producer: Stephen Beacham
Video Editor: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail Designer: Jeffrey Hazelwood

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#windows #windows11 #satyanadella #surfacelaptop #nvidia #ai #artificialintelligence #aiagents #aiagent #agenticai