HeyWhatsNew: Robots Go Head-to-Head in China, and GTA 6 Reveals New Gameplay
Hey, Heyuppers! Things move quickly in the world of technology, and there’s already plenty to catch up on this week. From tech and gaming to new ideas pushing the industry forward, here are some of the stories worth knowing about from 31/08/2026.
China’s Robots Race Ahead at the World Humanoid Robot Games
The second World Humanoid Robot Games took place in Beijing, with robots competing in everything from sprinting and boxing to football, weightlifting, and gymnastics. There were also more practical challenges, including folding clothes, stacking shelves, and delivering parcels. This year’s robots were much faster and more capable than those competing in 2025. One completed the 100-meter sprint in just 8.86 seconds, while another managed a 2.88-meter standing high jump. There were still plenty of falls and technical problems along the way.
The games are also a way to see how robots cope with tasks outside the lab. Some events required them to work completely on their own, while others allowed human control with a scoring penalty. China had by far the biggest presence, accounting for 641 of the 666 teams at the event. The performances showed how quickly the country’s humanoid robotics industry is developing, but the frequent mistakes also showed that these robots still have some way to go before they can reliably handle everyday work in homes and factories.
Fitbit Founders Launch Luffu Link Health and Safety Band
Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman have launched the Luffu Link, a screenless health and safety wearable designed to help people keep track of their own health or that of family members. The LTE-enabled band monitors activity, sleep, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate, while its built-in GPS can share the wearer’s location with trusted contacts. It can work without a nearby smartphone, and users can also record voice updates about things such as medication, symptoms, meals, and mood.
The band also includes safety features aimed at making it easier to ask for help. A wearer can send a voice message and their location to trusted contacts, along with information such as battery level, heart rate, and recent activity. Luffu says the device is designed to work quietly in the background rather than function as another screen-based fitness tracker. The Luffu Link is currently available for preorder for $250, with shipping expected in early 2027 and a planned retail price of $300
Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement Over Teen Safety
Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement with dozens of US states over claims that its platforms contributed to mental health problems among young people. As part of the agreement, Meta will introduce new protections for users aged 13 to 17 on Facebook and Instagram. These include a two-hour daily time limit, a midnight-to-6 a.m. night mode, reduced notifications during school hours, and default removal of like counts and certain beauty filters. Parents will control changes to the main time restrictions.
Meta will also be required to introduce age-verification technology and have an independent auditor review whether it is following the agreement. The company did not admit wrongdoing and has six months to implement the changes. While the settlement is significant, Meta still faces hundreds of similar lawsuits, and some online safety advocates argue that the new measures do not go far enough, particularly because personalized algorithmic feeds will remain the default for teenagers.
GTA 6 Extended Look Shows Off New Gameplay
Rockstar Games has given fans a longer look at Grand Theft Auto 6, with almost 30 minutes of gameplay featuring Jason and Lucia. The footage showed new missions, locations around Leonida, and more of how the two main characters work together. Players will be able to switch between Jason and Lucia during missions, while their clothes and appearance can affect whether they are recognized by security cameras or police.
There also seems to be plenty to do outside the main story. The footage showed basketball, street and dirt bike racing, car meets, base jumping, kayaking, scuba diving, pool, mini-golf, and gym workouts. GTA 6 will also bring back a six-star wanted level, while players can store clothes and weapons in their cars and use a new Focus system to spot collectibles and other opportunities in the world. The game is currently set to release on November 19.
A New Game Is Coming to the Game Boy
More than 20 years after the Game Boy was discontinued, a new game is being developed for Nintendo’s classic handheld. Stains of Decay is a dark, top-down action RPG from Czech indie developer Cestmir Kocian. The game is set in a world that has already ended, with combat built around stamina, recognizing enemy patterns, and managing resources. Players will explore dungeons without maps or markers, meaning they’ll have to rely on memory to find their way around.
Stains of Decay is expected to get a physical Game Boy cartridge, while a PC version is also planned for Steam. It will support English, Spanish, and Czech at launch. The Kickstarter campaign is listed as coming soon, so there’s no confirmed release date yet. It’s part of a wider trend of indie developers creating new games for older consoles, giving players another reason to dust off their old hardware.
That’s this week in the books, Heyuppers! See you next time for another look at what’s new in tech, gaming, and innovation.