Name that Squid: Closer and Closer & AI News Roundup

This post from TechCrunch, originally published on September 29, 2006, by John Biggs, features a throwback to the "Name that Squid" contest. Readers were encouraged to vote early and often, with the best name submission winning a T-Mobile Trace.

About the Author: John Biggs

John Biggs is a seasoned writer, consultant, and programmer with a background as the former East Coast Editor and current contributing writer for TechCrunch. His expertise spans technology, cryptocurrency, security, gadgets, gear, wristwatches, and the internet. Biggs transitioned from programming to entrepreneurship and writing, with his work featured in prominent publications like The New York Times, Gizmodo, and Popular Science. He is also the author of "Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age."

Latest AI and Tech News Highlights:

The article also serves as a platform for recent developments in the Artificial Intelligence and technology sectors:

Cognition Acquires Windsurf: Cognition, the company behind the AI coding agent Devin, has acquired Windsurf.
Marc Andreessen on DEI: Marc Andreessen reportedly commented in a group chat that universities will "pay the price" for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Windsurf CEO Joins Google: Following the acquisition, Windsurf's CEO has moved to Google, as the company's potential acquisition by OpenAI fell apart.
Grok 4's Controversial Consultations: Elon Musk's xAI has launched Grok 4, which appears to consult Musk himself to answer controversial questions.
xAI Launches Grok 4 with Subscription: xAI has introduced Grok 4, offering it alongside a $300 monthly subscription service.
YouTube's AI Content Crackdown: YouTube is preparing to enforce stricter policies against "mass-produced" and "repetitive" videos, driven by growing concerns about AI-generated content quality.
Perplexity Launches Comet Browser: Perplexity has released Comet, a new web browser powered by AI.
Meta Addresses AI Prompt Leak Bug: Meta has implemented a fix for a bug that could have potentially leaked users' AI prompts and generated content.
Thinking Machines Lab Valuation: Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab has achieved a valuation of $1.2 billion in its seed funding round.
Mistral Releases Voxtral: Mistral has launched Voxtral, its first open-source AI audio model.
AI Therapy Chatbot Risks: A recent study highlights significant risks associated with the use of AI therapy chatbots.
Fyre Festival Rights Sold: The rights to the infamous Fyre Festival were sold on eBay for $245,000.

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Popular Articles:

The post also highlights popular recent articles, including:

Cognition's acquisition of Windsurf.
Marc Andreessen's comments on DEI.
Windsurf's CEO moving to Google.
Grok 4 consulting Elon Musk.
xAI's Grok 4 launch and subscription model.
YouTube's crackdown on AI content.
Perplexity's AI browser, Comet.

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