Author: Techie.lk

New images from a NASA satellite orbiting the moon reveal a fresh, 60-foot-wide crater formed by a wayward SpaceX rocket that slammed into the lunar surface earlier this month. The crash involved the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket that originally launched on January 15, 2025, carrying two commercial lunar landers. While the rocket’s first stage — the booster used for liftoff — returned to Earth, its second, or upper, stage continued propelling the robotic landers on their path to the moon. After the rocket’s mission was complete, SpaceX intentionally discarded the upper stage in space — but it later…

Meta has been hit with successive losses in court over how its platforms have targeted and harmed young users, but a jury trial set to begin on Tuesday may pose the biggest threat yet to its operations. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 30 US states, including California and New York, in which they claim numerous violations of federal and state privacy laws for children. Not only are the states seeking upwards of $1 trillion from Meta, but they are also demanding it make changes to Instagram and Facebook, including ending “like” counts and infinite scroll.…

As Artificial Intelligence reshapes industries, customer expectations and business models worldwide, EMBRAX Multiversity is bringing a globally recognised executive learning experience to Sri Lanka, featuring Harvard Business School Professor Elie Ofek in a three-day programme focused on AI, innovation and marketing leadership. Hosted by EMBRAX Multiversity, a venture of Academics Group, the Harvard-style Executive Leadership Programme will take place from September 15-17, at ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo. Professor Elie Ofek, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School, brings extensive expertise in marketing strategy, innovation, pricing, digital transformation and the strategic implications of emerging technologies. He has taught executives…

Sri Lankan engineering and technology company ISF, with bold ambitions in manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI), last week launched the world’s first fully automated coconut de-watering system. The system improves productivity, reduces labour dependency, and addresses operational inefficiencies across the coconut processing industry, while improving return on investment. Designed and manufactured in Sri Lanka by local engineers, the system automates a process that has traditionally relied on manual handling. The system was unveiled through a live demonstration attended by Science and Technology Minister Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena, diplomats representing ISF’s key international markets, industry leaders, and members of the media. Participants were…

Sri Lanka CERT has warned the public about a sophisticated fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) to steal victims’ bank deposits. According to Sri Lanka CERT, complaints have been received about individuals contacting victims through mobile phones and social media, claiming to have information about their savings and fixed deposits. The scammers allegedly tell victims that complaints have been lodged claiming their deposits were obtained through fraudulent means and threaten them with an investigation by the FCID. They then send forged letters bearing fake…

YouTube is changing the way it counts public views across videos, shorts and live streams, with a view set to count from the moment playback begins. The change will standardise view counting across formats and help creators better understand their overall exposure. Starting August 24, a YouTube view will be counted from the very first frame of a video, with no minimum watch-time requirement. The new system will apply globally across regular videos, Shorts and live content. YouTube says the move will bring different content formats under the same view-counting standard. “Starting 8/24, views will count the moment a video…

Tourists arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport could potentially travel to hotels in Colombo by passenger drone for an estimated fare of US$20–30 per trip under a proposed service being explored by Sri Lanka. The proposal was discussed at a special meeting held at the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation under the patronage of Minister Anura Karunathilaka, with the participation of Chinese company EHang, which has offered to provide passenger drone services. EHang Chief Financial Officer Conor Yang and General Manager of Operations Xiao Na Lee led the company’s delegation. Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, Ministry Secretary W.W.S. Mangala, Civil…

By Prof. Rangamini Werawatta Every year, thousands of young Sri Lankans graduate with dreams of launching the next great startup. Many possess exceptional technical skills. They master programming languages, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics. They learn how to build products, write code, and scale technology. Yet, despite this technical excellence, many startups struggle—not because of technology, but because of people. Over the past two decades, I have worked with entrepreneurs, technology professionals, educators, executives, and students across Sri Lanka and internationally. I have seen brilliant ideas fail because founders could not build trust. I have seen technically…

The final approval from the Indian government is imminent for onboarding the master systems provider on the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha said. Digital Ministry officials confirmed to the Sunday Times business that the final procedural formalities continue despite earlier financial gaps where bids from master system integrators surpassed initial allocations. Backed partially via Indian grant assistance, the platform relies on the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), which mirrors the foundational structure of India’s Aadhaar system to secure biometric data. Shortlisted major tech firms include TCS, Infosys, and Protean, which are now…

SLIIT and Massey University (New Zealand) recently brought together global researchers, practitioners and policy experts at the International Conference on Technology Innovations for Crisis Management (ICTICM) 2026, spotlighting how emerging technologies can shift disaster management from reactive response to proactive preparedness. The hybrid summit was jointly organised by the SLIIT Autonomous Intelligent Machines and systems (AIMS) Research Centre and Massey University’s CRISISLab in New Zealand. It was co-chaired by Prof. Pradeep Abeygunawardhana, Dean of SLIIT’s Faculty of Computing, and Prof. Raj Prasanna of Massey University, with Ms. Suranjini Silva serving as Conference Secretary, the Sri Lankan institute said in a…