Everyone is searching for Narendra Modi app in India

You don’t have to step out of the house to see the panic among Indians in the aftermath of country’s big demonetization push. Just go to your smartphone’s app store. 

A day after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wants to know people’s opinion on the surprise demonetization move through his app, he is trending on the Indian App Store, and the Google Play. His app is incidentally called Narendra Modi as well. 

Narendra Modi, or a variation of his name, is all over trending section on both Apple’s and Google’s app stores. So much so that at the time of writing, every search suggestion on App Store, and Trending section on Google Play was about Modi, in India. 

Are LED sneakers going to be the new Yeezys?

Light up Sketchers were fun, Heelys were cool, and Nike's self-lacing sneakers are insane. What could possibly top them? Well, a new Indiegogo campaign by Vixole wants to bring you customizable LED sneakers. They're controlled through an app that allows you to upload photos, illustrations or GIFs to illuminate the back of your kicks.

The sneakers can also sync up to your favorite song so that you can wear your favorite sound waves on your feet. Calling all sneaker-heads: These are for you.

Fitbit Charge 2 review: The best fitness tracker for all your workouts 503 SHARES Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The Fitbit Charge 2. The Fitbit Charge 2.IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE 2016%2f09%2f16%2f8f%2fhttpsd2mhye01h4nj2n.cloudfront.netmediazgkymde1lza3.c1888 BY KARISSA BELL 1 DAY AGO Mashable Choice highlights the best of everything we cover, have experienced first-hand and would recommend to others. When it comes to wearables, your choices primarily fall into two buckets: smartwatches that have fitness tracking features and fitness trackers that also have smartwatch-style notifications. Fitbit's new Charge 2 falls squarely in the latter group. It's all about fitness, though its notifications are a useful addition. While few wearables manage to do both well, the Charge 2 strikes the right balance, if fitness-first features are what you're after. SEE ALSO: 60 heavily discounted Best Buy Black Friday deals you don't want to miss Less is more IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE One of the $149.95 Charge 2's most noticeable changes, compared with previous generations of the Charge line, is the slimmed-down design. Though the display itself is bigger and has a slightly higher profile than some smartwatches, the band is thinner and feels less bulky overall. I've never been a big fan of wrist-worn wearables — I've worn a Fitbit Ultra almost daily for years — so getting used to a slightly chunkier band was a bit of an adjustment, though not as cumbersome as some other trackers I've tried. Still, if you prefer a more minimalist fitness tracker, the Charge 2 may not be the one for you — at least, not for everyday use. Charging up the Fitbit Charge 2. Charging up the Fitbit Charge 2. IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE The extra bulk does come with a few nice tradeoffs though, including a heart-rate monitor and spectacular battery life. Fitbit says its tracker is rated for up to seven days, and I've managed to squeeze a few extra days on top of that. Your mileage may vary, of course, but considering most smartwatches will barely last a day, it's still quite impressive. The Charge 2 is also more customizable than previous Fitbits: its bands are swappable and you can change out the standard blue, black, teal or purple plastic band for one of Fitbit's new leather bands, which should dress it up a bit more for when you want to wear it outside of the gym. All about workouts Fitbit's Charge 2 tracker with the company's updated app. Fitbit's Charge 2 tracker with the company's updated app. IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE Fitbit has also given some serious upgrades to its actual workout-tracking features, which is undoubtedly where the Charge 2 excels most. In addition to the standard metrics like steps, flights and heart rate, Fitbit has added the ability to track 19 different types of activities. These cover your standard gym routines (treadmill running, elliptical and weight lifting) to interval workouts, circuit training and yoga, as well as outdoor activities like tennis and hiking. One that's notably absent is swimming. The Charge 2 is not waterproof so, naturally, swimming is not one of the activities you can track. Though Fitbit's other new wearable, the more minimalist Flex 2, is waterproof, it feels like a feature that should have also been included in the more high-end Charge 2. Fitbit has added the ability to track 19 different types of activities Of the 19 types of workouts you can track, you're able to keep shortcuts for seven of these on the band itself (you can choose which ones in the Fitbit app) and tap through your saved activities on the display. Then, when you're ready to start a workout, you just hold down the button on the side of the tracker. Some activities will provide additional contextual information relevant to what you're doing, interval workout mode will keep track of activity and rest times and hikes will keep track of your steps and elevation gain, and at the end you can view all your stats in the Fitbit app on your phone. IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE Fitbit also added GPS-tracking to its app so when you go on a run or a hike you can see a map view of your route when you finished, along with your pace. It doesn't have as many features as a dedicated running app like Strava, but it's a handy feature to have built into the app. Workouts aside, the Charge 2 also has a new "relax" mode that will guide you through 2- or 5-minute long guided breathing sessions to help you unwind at the end of the day or after a workout. The feature uses the device's sensors to track your breathing and then uses an on-screen graphic to guide your breaths in an exercise that is surprisingly calming. IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE But perhaps one of the coolest features for fitness buffs is the ability to analyze your overall fitness level by estimating your VO2 max score. The metric, typically used by professional athletes, measures how much oxygen you use during cardio activity to gauge your fitness level. (At a basic level, the more oxygen you can consume during a workout, the more in shape you are.) A truly accurate VO2 max measurement requires specialized equipment in a highly controlled lab setting. Fitbit, however, uses information from your profile, including your gender, age height and weight, and heart rate information to estimate this score. (Experts agree that it is possible to estimate a VO2 max using these indicators, by the way.) Fitbit's estimate was very close to the score I was given in the lab. I actually completed a VO2 max test at a local university a few months back so I was especially curious to see how Fitbit's assessment stacked up. (The company advises you to first sleep with your tracker so it can gauge your resting heart rate and go on a run for at least 10 minutes in order for its assessment to be most accurate — both of which I did.) And I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Fitbit's estimate was very close to the score I was given in the lab. Fitbit gave me a score of 37 while my lab test came out at 34 (this, by the way, is only an "average" score for my age, according to the Fitbit app's helpful, if blunt, explanation.) IMAGE: KARISSA BELL/MASHABLE In the past, we criticized Fitbit for not providing much analysis when it comes to the stats it's actually tracking, so it's nice to see the company adding more features that help explain what everything means. Even though I already know I'm not working out consistently enough, it's helpful to have a quantifiable metric beyond steps and calories to keep track of. If you're not a big gym-goer and are more interested in the basics — tracking steps, calories and notifications from your phone — then the Charge 2 is likely not the device for you. But if you're looking to make your workouts more efficient and keep tabs on your heart rate, the Charge 2 offers the best of both worlds in a tracker that still looks good enough to wear every day. Fitbit Charge 2 The Good Tracks everything • Excellent battery life • Swappable bands and customizable display The Bad A little bulky for small wrists • Not waterproof • App can be difficult to navigate The Bottom Line Fitbit's Charge 2 is the best tracker for all your workouts. BONUS: The 3 best things about the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar TOPICS: CHARGE 2, FITBIT, FITBIT CHARGE 2, HEALTH & FITNESS, FITNESS TRACKERS, GADGETS, MASHABLE CHOICE, REVIEWS, TECH Sponsored Content For Retail Businesses, Addition Of Augmented And Virtual Reality Can Mean A Real Opportunity For Retail Businesses, Addition Of Augmented And Virtual Reality Can Mean A Real Opportunity COGNIZANT Over 1 million people have fallen in love with this language learning app! Over 1 million people have fallen in love with this language learning app! 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When it comes to wearables, your choices primarily fall into two buckets: smartwatches that have fitness tracking features and fitness trackers that also have smartwatch-style notifications. Fitbit's new Charge 2 falls squarely in the latter group. It's all about fitness, though its notifications are a useful addition. While few wearables manage to do both well, the Charge 2 strikes the right balance, if fitness-first features are what you're after.

One of the $149.95 Charge 2's most noticeable changes, compared with previous generations of the Charge line, is the slimmed-down design. Though the display itself is bigger and has a slightly higher profile than some smartwatches, the band is thinner and feels less bulky overall. I've never been a big fan of wrist-worn wearables — I've worn a Fitbit Ultra almost daily for years — so getting used to a slightly chunkier band was a bit of an adjustment, though not as cumbersome as some other trackers I've tried. 

Still, if you prefer a more minimalist fitness tracker, the Charge 2 may not be the one for you — at least, not for everyday use. 

Facebook's internet beaming drones aren't coming to India

Facebook is committed at bringing internet access to much of India, but the social giant won’t be using its Aquila drone to achieve it in the country. The high-altitude, solar-powered unmanned drone, designed to beam internet to remote parts of the world, isn’t headed to India, Umang Bedi, Managing Director, for Facebook in India and South Asia noted at a round table discussion on Wednesday. 

Aquila is one of our connectivity efforts, which I think, is an experiment for the US only. It’s got nothing to do with India; there was some speculation, but that was speculation only,” Bedi told FactorDaily, refuting claims made in a recent media report. 

The Economic Times, citing a Facebook executive, reported earlier this month that the company had been in talks with the Indian government and telecom companies for potential programs to bring Aquila in India. Aquila weighs less than a car, consumes just 5,000 Watts of energy, and is intended to fly for months on a stretch. "Our goal is to have a fleet of Aquilas flying together at 60,000 feet, communicating with each other with lasers and staying aloft for months at a time — something that’s never been done before," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in July, shortly after the announcing the first "successful" flight of Aquila in Yuma, Arizona. 

Many people were expecting Facebook to bring Aquila in India, especially in the wake of ban on Free Basics in India. The initiative, which is aimed at offering select internet services to people, was banned by the Indian government earlier this year on the grounds of violation of net neutrality. The company has since begun looking at alternatives to get India's untapped market to the internet. 

One such alternative is Express WiFi, which aims at collaborating with internet service providers and local entrepreneurs to set up public Wi-Fi networks in places with poor internet connectivity.  

“We have existing partnerships with operators and other entities, and we're always in conversation with them," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable India. "But it's early days and we need to make sure the technology works first." 

Earlier this week, the American National Transportation Safety opened an investigation into an accident during the drone’s first "successful" test flight, where it suffered structural damage.

Uber eyes UberCommute expansion in India

Uber plans to expand its UberCommute service across India, but the path it is hoping to travel is likely more complicated than it is anticipating.

Early this year, Uber quietly began testing UberCommute in New Delhi and Bengaluru cities in India. The program allows anyone with a car to join its platform and share ride with fellow commuters for a fee.

Shortly after its launch, the Karnataka government accused Uber of violating transport department rules by facilitating unregulated use of private vehicles for commercial usage. The company has been tight lipped on UberCommute's performance so far, but it is now eyeing a nation-wide expansion of UberCommute.  Uber's India policy head, Shweta Rajpal Kohli, says the company is "keen to support the government in every way possible and help use carpooling and ride-sharing as solutions to address the rising pollution and congestion in the city." 

Speaking to Economic Times, she added, "services like Uber can instantly match passengers headed in the same direction at the same time, thereby reducing the number of duplicate journeys." Uber's efforts could help reduce carbon footprint, but what's holding the company back is domestic regulations. The country's current Motor Vehicles Act requires private vehicle owners to pay annual taxes and possess a badge to ferry passengers, and the cars are also required to be annually inspected. Because other taxis are required to pay taxes, if Uber gets its way, there could be a lot of friction from taxi unions. It will be interesting how the government approaches the issue. 

The move comes as both Uber and Ola have been aggressively attempting to lure drivers to their respective platforms. Both the companies have partnered with car makers to offer training and enticing leasing programs to make it easier for those drivers to afford a car.Because of the local economy, it is more difficult for Uber and Ola to currently get a driver on their platform. With their ongoing efforts with leasing programs, Uber helps drivers who otherwise wouldn't have access to finance and ability to purchase vehicles, according to analysts. But if the government allowed private vehicles on the platform for commercial usage, it could draw the interest of many. 

NHTSA adds safety sound requirement for new electric and hybrid vehicles

Electric cars and hybrid vehicles can be incredibly quiet – so quiet that a populace used to cars that make noise can be hurt when sharing space with them. New NHTSA standards for automakers aim to help fix that with audible alerts hat are required on all new hybrid and electric going forward beginning September 1, 2019.

The new sound requirements applies across the U.S., and should help prevent as many as 2,400 pedestrian injuries each year once they span the range of EVs and hybrids on the road. The new rule specifically states than all-electric and hybrid cars that have four wheels and weigh under 10,000 pounds must make an audible noise when traveling either backwards or forwards at speeds up of to 19 miles per hour. Beyond that, NHTSA says a nose isn’t required, because tires and wind provide enough.

The rule comes fully into effect at the beginning of September 2019, as mentioned, but half of all new electric and hybrids made must comply a year prior to that, by September 1, 2018. This could impact a significantly larger portion of vehicles by then, given the current vehicle roadmaps of the various automakers, which are looking forward to adding many more electric cars to their lineups.

Zugata raises $7 million to make annual performance reviews obsolete

                                   

Even before they began to graduate from college, millennials drove changes at work, from management and recruiting practices to the design of office interiors. But companies are still adapting and figuring out what matters most to this large demographic and employee base.

Now, a tech startup called Zugata has raised $7 million in Series A venture funding to replace the crusty old performance review with something more motivating to this group than a twice-a-year, managerial write-up.

Investors in Zugata’s new round included Canaan Partners, General Catalyst andRedpoint Ventures.

Founded in 2014, Palo Alto-based Zugata developed software as a service that automatically figures out who employees work with most, and then helps them gather feedback from each other, directly, without managers or HR departments eavesdropping.

Companies that use Zugata can set a policy so that employees may exchange feedback either anonymously, or with their names attached.

Zugata shows users a set of skills that a colleague should have mastered, based on their functional role. For each skill, a user marks it as strength or not yet a strength.

The employer cannot access messages exchanged, not through their HR department, IT or any other division. If court orders (or some other situation) required messages between employees to be disclosed such requests would be handled by Zugata.

Zugata CEO and cofounder Srinivas Krishnamurti explained that providing employees with a private, but official, means of exchanging feedback decouples professional development and performance goal-setting from salary and promotion decisions.