Deadline reports that the national board of trade union SAG-AFTRA has vested chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland with the authority to call a strike against video game companies in ongoing negotiations for a new deal for voice actors. Crabtree-Ireland says "time is running out for the companies to make a deal," so this is bad news for those hoping to avoid another strike, the chances of which were already said to be about 50/50. Here's the latest on efforts to make a deal to support the actors and deal with the growing impact of AI on game development:

It’s been nearly two years since the Interactive Media Agreement was extended beyond its original expiration date to accommodate more talks between the union and the video game companies. Bargaining has continued on-and-off for that length of time. The union said Saturday that, while negotiations are currently ongoing, the parties “remain far apart” on artificial intelligence provisions.

“Our resolve is unwavering and should not be tested. Our membership voted more than 98% yes to authorize a strike of this contract should the employers not come to the table with a deal that includes our critical provisions — especially in A.I. We are steadfast in our commitment to our membership who work this contract and whose extraordinary performances are the heart and soul of the world’s most popular video games. Time is running out for the companies to make a deal,” Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement.

The Warframe Website has the latest from TennoCon 2024, the latest installment in the annual convention celebrating Warframe and all things related to the free-to-play shooter. This includes details on the Warframe: 1999 expansion coming to all platforms this winter. This post has the Full 22-minute Gameplay Demo Video from the event, and details on what it brings beyond the obvious appeal of a boy band. Here's word on this chance to party like it's, well, you know:

Untold ages before The Old War, the calculating Albrecht Entrati set events in motion that now lead to a strange meeting of past and future — shaking the worlds of Warframe to their core. Are you ready to be part of how this conflict plays out, Tenno?

At TennoCon 2024, we finally debuted an extensive gameplay demo of Warframe: 1999 — the highly anticipated Update coming to all platforms this winter! Meet the walking enigma that is Arthur Nightingale as he enlists the aid of five fellow Protoframes (most of which may seem curiously familiar to keen-eyed Tenno and one we're just meeting for the first time) to combat bizarre new threats.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Mortal Kombat 1 Expansion Details Leak Online - GameRant.

• Big publishers ‘eject too soon’ from live service titles, says Warframe boss - VGC.

• Save 40% on Nova Lands on Steam.
• Save 90% on The Vanishing of Ethan Carter on Steam.

• How to Optimize Windows 11 for Gaming - How-To Geek. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Content creator videos.

• Welcome to the Shadow Realm - Elden Ring #73 - Carbot. Thanks Ant.
• A Message from Steve Wozniak. Thanks RedEye9.

Thanks RedEye9.

• Intel sneaks out nine 14th-Gen CPUs without E-cores — odd flagship Core i9-14901KE is the first overclockable chip for the embedded market - Tom's Hardware.
• Leaker reveals new AMD RDNA4 Ray Tracing features, expected in upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro - VideoCardz.com.
• Nvidia could lose up to $12 billion in revenue if US bans new China-oriented GPU — analysts believe the H20 will get the banhamer soon - Tom's Hardware.
• Intel says 13th and 14th Gen mobile CPUs are crashing, but not due to the same bug as desktop chips — chipmaker blames common software and hardware issues - Tom's Hardware.
• Razer's new keyboard is basically cheating. - Optimum (video).
• Tech companies in China use AI avatars to 'resurrect' dead loved ones. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• New massive PC liquid cooling radiator weighs over 35lbs, holds nine 200mm fans — MO-RA IV 600 costs close to $600 - Tom's Hardware.

• CrowdStrike has a new guidance hub for dealing with the Windows outage - The Verge.
• Microsoft released a tool for auto-fixing CrowdStrike blue screens of death on Windows PCs - Neowin.
• CrowdStrike IT Outage Explained by a Windows Developer - Dave's Garage (video). Thanks RedEye9.

• Nigeria fines Meta $220 million over data violations – DW. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G5 laptop review - The mobile workstation now with an RTX 500 Ada and a 3K IPS panel - NotebookCheck.net.
• Mini PC: HP Elite Mini 800 G9 review- Quiet NUC mini-PC with Intel Core i5-14500, DDR5 RAM and modular design - NotebookCheck.net Revi.
• Mini PC: Shuttle XPC slim DL30N Barebone - Mad Shrimps.
• Misc: DJI Power 1000 review- with great power comes many dongles - The Verge.
• SSD: WD My Passport Ultra (6TB) Review - PCMag.

• No Man's Sky Is The Perfect Game For My Anxiety Disorder - TheGamer. Thanks Neutronbeam…

We're back in the BlueTower after the adventure I mentioned yesterday, which was a trip to western New York to see my cousins. My dad's brother had five wonderful daughters, and all of them managed to make it, as did my brother, making for a nice little family reunion. It was a couple of hundred miles, which makes for a few hours trip each way, but it was well worth it. I will gladly do it again the next time we decide to get together.

Well-Traveled Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Brunch Link

• A Cornell Professor Invented What May Be the Best BBQ Chicken Recipe Ever. Thanks Matthew.

Stories
Thanks RedEye9.

• Is Meat In Bloated Packaging Safe To Eat - Delish.
• Soda cans burst on Southwest flights due to extreme heat.
• South African police discover multimillion-dollar meth lab on farm.

Science

• NASA Abandons Moon Rover After Spending Half a Billion Dollars on It. Enough to pay for one F-35 taillight.

Media
Thanks RedEye9.

• She An ANGRY Motherfluffing Cat 😂. You matted bro?
• Logan Paul sued Coffeezilla and it's Crap (ft. Coffezilla's Lawyers).
• Why Adam Savage Will Never Open This Package.

Auction

• What Will Paul Allen's Amazing Computers Bring at Auction? - Dave's Garage (video). Thanks RedEye9.

Follow-up

• What became of the flags Apollo astronauts left on the moon? - Space.