
Afghan evacuees, forest fires and Antarctica
Days before President Donald Trump said he would help Afghan evacuees who fled their country and were stuck in the UAE, cables reveal the Emirati government had already begun returning them to Afghanistan. The U.S. Forest Service is struggling to cope with an increase in wildfires, as cuts under the Trump administration hit home. And scientists are analyzing Antarctica's oldest ice with hopes to reveal more about the Earth's climate and atmospheric record.
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Alaska Airlines resumes operations after IT outage
Trump threatens Washington stadium deal unless NFL team readopts Redskins name
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Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
German aviation lobby warns of economic fallout as airlines withdraw over costs
BERLIN, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Airlines are withdrawing aircraft from Germany due to soaring state-imposed costs, the German Aviation Association (BDL) said on Monday, warning of significant economic fallout. The number of planes stationed in Germany has dropped from 190 in 2019 to 130 this year, resulting in an estimated loss of 10,000 jobs and 4 billion euros ($4.66 billion) in annual economic value added, BDL said. "Since 2019, state-imposed costs have more than doubled, and airlines are increasingly avoiding Germany," said BDL President Jens Bischof, urging the government to prioritise post-pandemic recovery in the aviation sector. The industry has criticised Berlin's decision to postpone a planned reduction in aviation tax, arguing that reversing the May 2024 hike would have signalled support for carriers. State levies, including taxes, air traffic control fees and security charges, are expected to rise by 1.1 billion to 4.4 billion euros this year, hampering recovery, said BDL. Passenger numbers rose just 3% in the first half of the year to 99.4 million, far below the 10% growth seen a year earlier. Germany ranks 28th out of 31 European countries in post-pandemic aviation recovery, with seat capacity at 87% of 2019 levels, compared with a European average of 104%. ($1 = 0.8583 euros)


Geeky Gadgets
14 minutes ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Build a SaaS App Without Coding : 8 Agent Complete Solo Founder Blueprint
What if you could build a fully functional, scalable SaaS app—powered by innovative AI—without a team of developers or a massive budget? For many solo founders, the idea of creating a software product from scratch feels overwhelming, even impossible. But here's the truth: with the right strategy and tools, you don't need a technical background to bring your vision to life. In fact, some of the most successful SaaS products today started as solo projects, built by individuals who dared to take the leap. This feature is your blueprint to do the same—an actionable, step-by-step guide to help you navigate the complexities of SaaS development with confidence and clarity. Sean Kochel takes you through the exact roadmap they use to turn ideas into a production-ready apps. From defining your concept to launching and iterating on your product. Along the way, you'll learn how to use AI-driven tools to streamline development, create a seamless user experience, and build an app that's both scalable and user-centric. Whether you're dreaming of a recipe app that generates personalized meal plans or a completely different innovation, this guide will show you how to break the process into manageable phases and avoid common pitfalls. By the end, you'll not only have the knowledge to build your first SaaS app—you'll also have the confidence to take that first step toward making it a reality. Because every great product starts with a single bold decision. Solo SaaS Development Guide Phase 1: Define Your Idea and Develop a Plan Every successful app begins with a well-defined purpose and a clear understanding of its target audience. Start by identifying the problem your app will solve and the specific group of users it will serve. Use tools like AI-powered product managers to map out user personas, pain points, and measurable success metrics. For instance, if you're building a recipe app, consider your audience's cooking expertise, dietary preferences, and challenges in preparing restaurant-quality meals. Document these insights into detailed user stories and a comprehensive feature specification. This document will act as your blueprint, guiding you through the development process and making sure you stay aligned with your goals. Phase 2: Design the User Experience and Technical Framework A seamless and intuitive user experience (UX) is essential for your app's success. Begin by designing a cohesive visual system, including consistent color schemes, typography, and layouts. Map out user journeys to visualize how users will interact with your app, such as uploading photos of dishes or navigating recipe dashboards. On the technical side, define your app's architecture. Choose backend frameworks, frontend libraries, and database schemas that align with your app's requirements. Specify API contracts to ensure smooth communication between components. Planning deployment configurations and infrastructure at this stage will save time and effort during later phases. How to Build Your First SaaS App (No Code) Watch this video on YouTube. Below are more guides on SaaS application development from our extensive range of articles. Phase 3: Establish Your Development Environment Setting up a reliable development environment is crucial for maintaining consistency and efficiency throughout your project. Use tools like Docker to create local environments that replicate production settings. This ensures that your app behaves consistently across different stages of development. Organize your backend and frontend repositories, including all necessary dependencies. For example, Docker containers allow you to test new features locally before deploying them to the cloud, minimizing errors and streamlining the development process. This setup ensures a smoother workflow and reduces the risk of unexpected issues during deployment. Phase 4: Develop Core Features With your foundation in place, focus on building the core functionalities of your app. Prioritize features that directly address user needs and enhance the overall experience. Examples of essential features include: Authentication and Onboarding: Implement user registration, login, and onboarding flows. Collect user preferences, such as dietary restrictions, to personalize their experience. Implement user registration, login, and onboarding flows. Collect user preferences, such as dietary restrictions, to personalize their experience. Photo Upload: Enable users to upload images of dishes. Use tools like Cloudinary for secure image storage and preparation for AI analysis. Enable users to upload images of dishes. Use tools like Cloudinary for secure image storage and preparation for AI analysis. AI-Powered Recipe Generation: Integrate AI tools like OpenAI to analyze uploaded photos, identify ingredients, and generate recipes tailored to user preferences. Integrate AI tools like OpenAI to analyze uploaded photos, identify ingredients, and generate recipes tailored to user preferences. Navigation and Dashboards: Design intuitive navigation with tabs for features such as experiments, kitchen, cookbook, and profile. Include dashboards to track user activity and progress. Develop each feature iteratively, testing and refining as you go. This approach ensures that your app remains functional, user-friendly, and aligned with your original vision. Phase 5: Integrate AI Chat Capabilities Enhance user engagement by incorporating AI-driven chat features. Use technologies like vector embeddings and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to provide personalized, context-aware responses. For example, users can interact with the AI to request recipe adjustments, cooking tips, or ingredient substitutions. Storing conversation history and user preferences allows the AI to deliver tailored and intuitive interactions, creating a more engaging experience. Phase 6: Refine, Optimize, and Test Before launching your app, dedicate time to refining and optimizing its performance. Conduct thorough quality assurance (QA) testing to identify and resolve bugs. Optimize load times and responsiveness to ensure a smooth user experience. Additionally, perform security audits to safeguard user data and build trust. A polished, reliable app is essential for retaining users and fostering growth. This phase is critical to making sure your app meets the highest standards of quality and functionality. Phase 7: Launch, Monitor, and Iterate Deploy your app using tools like Railway and Docker containers. Once live, monitor its performance and gather user feedback through platforms like Sentry. Use this feedback to prioritize iterative improvements and address real-world usage challenges. Continuously refine your app's features and functionality to meet evolving user needs. Regular updates and enhancements will keep your app relevant, valuable, and competitive in the market. Key Insights for Success Iterative Development: Break your project into manageable phases, refining each feature to ensure quality and functionality. Break your project into manageable phases, refining each feature to ensure quality and functionality. AI Integration: Use AI tools for tasks such as UX design, backend development, and debugging to streamline your workflow. Use AI tools for tasks such as UX design, backend development, and debugging to streamline your workflow. User-Centric Design: Focus on solving real user problems with features like personalized recommendations and intuitive navigation. Focus on solving real user problems with features like personalized recommendations and intuitive navigation. Scalability: Use technologies like Docker, Cloudinary, and OpenAI to build an app that can grow with user demand. By following this structured approach, you can confidently navigate the complexities of SaaS development as a solo founder. With a focus on iterative development, user-centric design, and scalable architecture, you'll be well-equipped to create an app that delivers value and stands out in the competitive SaaS landscape. Whether you're building a recipe app or pursuing another innovative idea, this guide provides the framework to turn your vision into reality. Media Credit: Sean Kochel Filed Under: AI, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Denmark's Orsted seeks $9.4 billion as US wind market falters
COPENHAGEN, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Denmark's Orsted ( opens new tab on Monday asked its shareholders for 60 billion crowns ($9.4 billion), sending the stock sharply lower as the wind farm developer seeks to boost its finances amid U.S. President Donald Trump'sopposition to wind power. Struggling in recent years with soaring inflation and logistical problems that sent costs soaring, the offshore wind industry faced a further setback when Trump suspended licensing on his first day back in office in January. "Orsted and our industry are in an extraordinary situation with the adverse market development in the U.S. on top of the past years' macroeconomic and supply chain challenges," CEO Rasmus Errboe said in a statement. Orsted shares fell as much as 29% to a nine-year low of 220.2 crowns. At 0815 GMT, they were down 26% at 228.4 crowns. The rights issue is worth almost half of Orsted's market value of around 130 billion crowns as of Friday's close. Jefferies analysts said in a note that while the fundraising would help to de-risk the company's balance sheet, the near-term dilution for shareholders "seems substantial". Orsted said in a statement that the Danish state, which owns 50.1% of the company, had agreed to subscribe to a similar portion of the share issue, thus retaining a majority stake. A spokesperson for Norway's Equinor ( opens new tab, which holds a 10% stake in Orsted, said it would "assess the proposal". Any shares not subscribed for by the existing shareholders or other investors will be fully underwritten by Morgan Stanley & Co International to provide certainty that the rights issue will be completed, Orsted added. Equinor itself last month took a nearly $1 billion write-down on its separate offshore wind portfolio in the United States, blaming U.S. tariffs and uncertainty in the U.S. market. Trump campaigned on a promise to end the offshore wind industry, saying it is too expensive and hurts whales and birds. In April, his administration ordered Equinor to halt development of a fully-permitted wind farm off New York, sending shockwaves through the industry. The order was, however, reversed the following month. Orsted said uncertainty in the U.S. market had forced it to halt a planned partial divestment of its Sunrise wind project under development also off New York. The company said it would continue planned divestments of stakes in its Changhua 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan and Hornsea 3 in Britain. In addition, it has started a process of selling its European onshore wind business, which it said would raise more than 35 billion crowns. Errboe said proceeds from the rights issue would strengthen Orsted's capital structure and help it develop the 8.1 gigawatts of offshore wind projects it currently has under construction by 2027. It said in a separate statement that its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, excluding new partnerships and cancellation fees, rose 9% year-on-year to 13.9 billion crowns in the first half of 2025. It maintained full-year guidance for an adjusted EBITDA of 25 billion-28 billion crowns and gross investment guidance of 50 billion-54 billion. ($1 = 6.3953 Danish crowns)