The thread that connects the Metaverse to the Twitterverse. Well, it’s finally here! Meta officially released their Twitter competitor for microblogging(?) on the 5th of July, dubbed “Threads.” Although there’s no web version yet, users can find the app on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Interestingly, you would need an Instagram account to be able to ...
Sri Lankan agri-tech startup Agrithmics has recently raised USD 1.75 million from BRAC Osiris Impact Ventures in its Pre-Series A funding round. With this, Agrithmics has officially reached a valuation of USD 8.25 million. Additionally, the company is rebranding its global corporate identity to Cultive8 Technologies as part of its long-term expansion strategy. Originally launched in 2016, Agrithmics sought to ...
David Pieris Group, one of the most prominent players in the automobile space in Sri Lanka, has launched its taxi service. Dubbed “E-Drive,” the new service will be operated via electric three-wheelers as the company looks to enter an already competitive industry. The initial run includes a fleet of 20 electric three-wheelers which will service Colombo and its suburbs with ...
Recently, Uber has opened up its Uber One subscription to Sri Lanka. As some users might have already discovered, the company has begun promoting the service amid its efforts to expand its membership plan to more markets. Uber One first launched in the US back in November 2021, as a monthly subscription that bundled Uber’s multiple service offerings. This included ...
Recently, the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security stated that it will not recommend the privatization of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), citing national security concerns. The committee’s report raises numerous complaints about the potential security risks of divesting the State Owned Enterprise to a private entity. Unfortunately, the report offers little to no specifics and instead relies on general ...
President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced plans to introduce a new body, the Digital Promotion Agency as a means of developing government apps in-house. Typically, government-based software is handled by third parties, particularly when it comes to large-scale projects. As per the president, the agency is set to be responsible for developing apps that will collect and monitor data from various government ...
AI, it’s everywhere. From Microsoft’s aggressive push with OpenAI to Google’s own recent LLM-fueled AI integrations, it’s a space that has seemingly taken the spotlight in many conversations. Now, Sri Lanka’s own Team WatchDog is getting in on the action. But instead of trying to dominate every aspect of the internet, WatchDog envisions an AI-enabled search engine that can answer ...
Two teams from Sri Lanka, team Sipsara and The Green Tycoon, qualified for the World Finals (Asia) stage at Microsoft Imagine Cup 2023. The two teams were among the 48 from across three regions, who competed to advance to the World Championship. Team Sipsara, competing under the category of Education from Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), presented an ...
It’s the season of AI and Google really wants you to know how serious the company is about the space. Google wasted no time running through its slew of AI-enabled products and services at Google IO 2023. Of course, it wasn’t all AI as the tech giant also had a few interesting additions to the Pixel lineup. So here are ...
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has announced that Lanka Number Portability Services (LNPS) is currently calling for tender proposals to move forward with enabling number portability on the island. The tender in question specifies “the supply, installation, testing, and commission” for the upcoming service, signaling a positive sign for the number portability’s progress. Implementation underway Back in ...
Dialog Axiata PLC, Axiata Group, and Bharti Airtel have signed a binding term sheet that will see Dialog acquire Airtel Lanka. The agreement is set to be a mix of cash and share swap where Bharti Airtel will gain a stake in Dialog that would reflect the fair value of Airtel Lanka as part of the acquisition. The announcement was ...
Sri Lankan government websites have a notorious history around reliability and functionality, especially when it concerns security. The latest addition to this list is the Sri Lanka Coast Guard website which refuses to load on browsers entirely. Every time you try opening up coastguard.gov.lk you’re either greeted with a blank page or your antivirus issuing a warning. While it could ...
Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp announced that its multi-device support would extend to allow multiple phones for a single account. The announcement was made amid Meta‘s efforts to build more functionality into WhatsApp as the company looks to strengthen its dominance in the messaging space. Prior to the new update, WhatsApp’s multi-device support only included browsers, computers, and tabs. Moving forward, ...
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Technology has stated that the government officially joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA). In an announcement, the Ministry of Technology further mentioned that the government is looking forward to “contributing to the advancement of DPGs by helping to shorten other countries’ learning and adoption journeys of DPGs.” What is the Digital Public Goods Alliance? The ...
Minister of Power and Energy Kanachana Wijesekara has announced that Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owned fuel tankers will have GPS tracking this month as part of its upcoming fleet management system. Following Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, the ministry has been looking into optimizing the fuel supply across the island over the past year and has found success with its QR-based ...
Back in February, Spotify launched its latest AI feature called “DJ,” which aims at optimizing your personalized music experience. The company then followed this up by introducing its new TikTok-like discovery feed less than a month later. While these new features are currently available in US and Canada, Spotify is yet to announce a global release including for markets like ...
Sri Lanka hasn’t exactly been at the forefront when it comes to modernizing public transportation and adopting payment mechanisms like NFC. However, this might be changing soon according to recent updates. A few days ago, LankaPay announced that People’s Bank has become the first bank to issue its two-in-one contactless debit card under the National Card Scheme. Under this program, ...
When Anuruddha Heenatigala and his team got together in 2019, the idea was simple: find a viable solution to deal with menstruation-related issues. While it’s true that market offerings catering to this need already exist, effective means of helping women ease their menstrual pain continue to be a work in progress. Keily hopes to change this for the better with ...
Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior 2023 is now open for applications for school students aged 13 – 18. In its fourth year, Imagine Cup Junior 2023 is a platform that enables children to learn about technology and how it can be used to solve some of the bigger challenges in the world. Taking a step further to encourage school students of ...
Agriculture has a long history in Sri Lanka dating back thousands of years. Even today, the industry remains a critical component of the island’s economy and citizens’ well-being. Despite its rich history, agriculture remains ripe for innovation and some ambitious folk look to do just that. Aninilavan Puvanesan’s iGrow Lanka is one such effort. The story starts in Mullaitivu, back ...
