The operator of the LTTE’s computer and database revealed

Palitha Kohona, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka had this to say in a recent interview about the LTTE’s ICT infrastructure published in Himal, Himal: If there were entire villages that had nothing to do with LTTE, they can just be let go. But for the others, it’s a massive [...]

Apple iPhone: From the really dangerous to the ridiculous

First, the dangerous. A new security vulnerability on the iPhone that uses a simple SMS “to get near complete control of the iPhone’s functionality which includes dialing the phone, visiting Web sites, turning on the device’s camera and microphone and, most importantly, sending more text messages to further propagate a mass-gadget hijacking.” I am almost [...]

More websites including ghs.google.com blocked in Sri Lanka?

Reports online and which I received through email indicate that more sites are being deliberately or inadvertently blocked in Sri Lanka, with most of the disruptions occurring on Sri Lanka Telecom ADSL broadband connections. Some reports claim that domains hosted on blogger.com are being blocked, and other reports indicate that this is now a matter [...]

From community radio to Internet radio, mobiles and narrow-casting: New models for enduring needs

For more images of Saru Praja radio and the training we conducted, click here. In May this year, a colleague and I went to Nissankamallapura, Pollonnaruwa to strengthen online journalism capacities of a group trained in community radio production and had a decent production studio conveniently adjacent to an ICTA Nenasala. This groups was very [...]

Testing Blackberry WordPress app

This is a test post from my Blackberry. This app still has a long way to go.

On the banning of mobiles from schools

Lirneasia pretty much sums up all the nonsense here. This latest ban, which has no basis in law, comes hot on the heels of the government ordering ISPs to block several porn websites, the Child Protection Authority banning the “hosting” of porn on mobiles, and the sickeningly subservient attitudes of mobile phone companies to appease a [...]

LTTE launches new Department of International Relations site, kills its Peace Secretariat site

Old wine in new bottles or a genuine shift in thinking? I encountered the LTTE’s new Department of International Relations website today, containing S. Pathmanathan’s blog and other really fun stuff. The site is registered through GoDaddy.com in Arizona, whereas the erstwhile LTTE Peace Secretariat site’s domain was registered to an individual based in Killinochchi, [...]

IGP now wants to “suspend licenses” of porn websites in Sri Lanka

An order by the Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka, the same chowderhead who once said women could record themselves getting raped through mobile phones, now wants to the Director General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to suspend the licenses of 12 websites which were exhibiting nude photographs. Firstly, none of the websites the IGP [...]

Exclusive articles and debates on the 13th Amendment, the APRC proposals, the murder of Lasantha Wickremetunge and IDPs

Groundviews published over the course of the past two weeks exclusive articles on a diverse range of topics and issues, ranging from constitutional reform and women’s attire to the plight of IDPs and peacebuilding. Pros and cons of the 13th Amendment and the APRC Writing exclusively for Groundviews, M.C.M Iqbal, one of the secretaries of the [...]

Sri Lankan Government blocks another news website

As reported by the BBC today, International media watchdogs have condemned the blocking of another Sri Lankan news website by the authorities. Paris based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Sri Lanka authorities have blocked Lanka News Web after the website published a news item on President’s eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa. The RSF has also condemned [...]