In my last post in this “Cryptocurrencies Explained” series, we analyzed traditional currencies and banking systems and their drawbacks. In doing so, we found that the traditional systems are highly centralized and in turn limited in terms of security, equity and efficiency because they rely on trusted centralized authorities and middle-men. Yet as I explained […]
Partly due to Bitcoin’s astronomical price increase from $9.35 per coin in July 2012 to $13,860.14 per coin in December 2017, blockchain based cryptocurrencies have become popular buzzwords in the last decade or so. But aside from their reputation as a get-rich-quick scheme, few people understand any of their technicalities despite the many potential applications […]
Last month, I recommended four of the books that I enjoyed reading during the lockdown caused by COVID-19. This month, I’ve decided to recommend three books that helped me understand COVID-19 and some of the issues surrounding the pandemic. I know I said I would recommend four books per month, but these three books should […]
With schools starting, businesses reopening, an election coming up and the curfew lifted, the big question on everyone’s mind is whether Sri Lanka is back to normal. Yet depending on who you ask and when you ask the answer to this question is likely to be different because we are not too far into this […]
I have tried to recommend a few books at the end of every year, but it hasn’t worked out too well. I did so back in 2018, but didn’t in 2019 because picking just 10-15 books from the entire year is quite a challenge and recommending more than that would lead to quite a lengthy […]
In my last post entitled “Reemerging from the COVID-19 Recession,” I explained that restoring normalcy in the long run relies on rallying technological innovation, and highlighted some of the regulatory frameworks that will enable it. Realizing the importance of innovation, scientists, developers, engineers and policy makers across the world have put their heads together to come up […]
The last time I wrote a comprehensive piece about the economic impact of COVID-19 was almost two months ago back in mid March. At the time, there were just 140,000 cases of the disease across the world and we were only beginning to see some of the immediate economic effects of the pandemic. I ended the piece […]
If you have been following the news over the last few months, you might have noticed how often the word “unprecedented” is used to characterize the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although there may be no precedent for a pandemic of this scale in the information driven 21st century, epidemics, pandemics and the constant battle between humanity […]
At this point, almost every nation in the world has enforced strict lockdown measures in an effort to ensure social distancing and in turn minimize the spread of COVID-19. As a result, global and local economic engines have sputtered to a halt causing one of the biggest and novel recessions we have faced in decades. […]
COVID-19, the Corona Virus that originated in Wuhan and has been in the news for the last few months has brought the entire world to a halt in the last 5 to 6 days. With 137,445 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,088 deaths across almost 120 countries, it came as no surprise when the World […]
Nowadays, users have so many apps on their phones that they’re either hesitant to download and install new apps in the first place, or they hardly ever use them after a short interaction shortly after installation. However, from designing user interfaces to building and maintaing a robust backend as well as a frontend for multiple […]
Back when I was in elementary school, I used to read a lot. I mostly read fiction, but nevertheless I would read often. However, with the greater penetration of technology and social media into my life, my reading hobby died down to a point where it was merely a chore I did for school. Although […]
The graph above, obtained from Google Trends, shows the popularity of the term ‘Machine Learning’ on the internet in the last 5 years. According to the graph, the term Machine Learning has become extremely popular in the last few years and if you have followed any of the happenings in the tech world you would […]
One of the most influential technologies that has changed the course of history in the last century has been camera technology: it was the start of our machines beginning to see. Photography has allowed us to capture the best and worst moments in history, which has allowed for awareness, reflection and action. The power and […]
After the Meethotamulla Garbage dump collapse that happened last year, waste management has become one of the most talked about problems in Sri Lanka. Whilst politicians and governmental authorities tried their luck at solving the problem, I chose to use technology to do the very same. Initially I wanted to build a smart bin and […]