DebConf26, the 27th edition of the Debian conference is taking place at the Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias Hídricas of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, in Santa Fe, Argentina. We appreciate the organizers for their hard work, and hope this event will be highly beneficial for those who attend in person as well as online.

This event would not be possible without the help from our generous sponsors. We would like to warmly welcome the sponsors of DebConf26, and introduce them to you.

We have two Platinum sponsors.

• Our first Platinum sponsor is Proxmox. Proxmox develops powerful, yet easy-to-use open-source server solutions. The comprehensive open-source ecosystem is designed to manage divers IT landscapes, from single servers to large-scale distributed data centers. Our unified platform integrates server virtualization, easy backup, and rock-solid email security ensuring seamless interoperability across the entire portfolio. With the Proxmox Datacenter Manager, the ecosystem also offers a "single pane of glass" for centralized management across different locations. Since 2005, all Proxmox solutions have been built on the rock-solid Debian platform. We are proud to return to DebConf26 as a sponsor because the Debian community provides the foundation that makes our work possible. We believe in keeping IT simple, open, and under your control.

• Infomaniak is the second Platinum sponsor. Infomaniak is an independent, employee-owned Swiss technology company that designs, develops, and operates its own cloud infrastructure and digital services entirely in Switzerland. With over 300 employees — more than 70% engineers and developers — the company reinvests all profits into R&D. Its public cloud is built on OpenStack, with managed Kubernetes, Database as a Service, object storage, and sovereign AI services accessible via OpenAI- compatible APIs, all running on its own Swiss infrastructure. Infomaniak also develops a sovereign collaborative suite — messaging, email, storage, online office tools, videoconferencing, and a built-in AI assistant — developed in- house and as a privacy-respecting solution to proprietary platforms. Open source is central to how Infomaniak operates. Its latest data center (D4) runs on 100% renewable energy and uses no traditional cooling: all the heat generated by its servers is captured and fed into Geneva's district heating network, supplying up to 6,000 homes in winter and hot water year-round. The entire project has been documented and open-sourced at d4project.org.

Our Gold sponsors are:

• Freexian, Freexian specializes in Free Software with a particular focus on Debian GNU/Linux. Freexian can assist with consulting, training, technical support, packaging, or software development on projects involving use or development of Free software. All of Freexian's employees and partners are well-known contributors in the Free Software community, a choice that is integral to Freexian's business model.

• Viridien an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. Viridien has been using Debian-based systems to power most of its HPC infrastructure and its cloud platform since 2009 and currently employs two active Debian Project Members.

Our Silver sponsors are:

• Arm: leading technology provider of processor IP, Arm powered solutions have been supporting innovation for more than 30 years and are deployed in over 280 billion chips to date.
• Pexip brings the ease of commercial video platforms to secure and sovereign environments without compromising control or performance.
• The Bern University of Applied Sciences with around 7,959 students enrolled, located in the Swiss capital.
• Ubuntu, the Operating System delivered by Canonical.
• OS-Sci, Open Source Science is a world-leading institution dedicated to teaching computer science through Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
• gcoop, a free software development company with over 19 years of market experience, organized as a worker cooperative, promoting best practices in software development.
• Qualcomm Technologies, one of the world's leading companies in field of mobile technology, sponsors and contributes to Open Source developer communities that drive collaboration.
• Civil Infrastructure Platform, a collaborative project hosted by the Linux Foundation, establishing an open source “base layer” of industrial grade software.
• Siemens is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure and transport.
• Collabora, a global consultancy delivering Open Source software solutions to the commercial world.
• NERDEARLA, the largest free tech event in the Spanish-speaking world.

Bronze sponsors:

• Loongson,
• credativ,
• Google,
• SpacemiT,

And finally, our Supporter level sponsors:

• Altus Metrum,
• Loongson Hobbyists Community,
• Secretaría de Tecnologías para la Gestión de la Provincia de Santa Fe

A special thanks to the Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas - FICH UNL, our Venue Partner!

Thanks to all our sponsors for their support! Their contributions enable a diverse global community of Debian developers and maintainers to collaborate, support one another, and share knowledge at DebConf26.

While the monthly and annual prices of AppleCare+ plans for Macs and iPads received a slight increase this week, AppleCare One continues to start at $19.99 per month in the U.S., making the multi-device plan even more valuable.


Launched in July 2025, AppleCare One allows you to cover up to three devices as part of a single subscription for $19.99 per month, and additional devices can be added for $5.99 each. AppleCare One offers repairs for accidental damage, 24/7 priority tech support, and theft and loss protection for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

If you have an iPhone 17 Pro, a MacBook Air with an M5 chip, and an iPad mini with an A17 Pro chip, for example, AppleCare+ plans with theft and loss coverage where applicable can cost up to $26.97 per month for those devices in total. As mentioned, AppleCare One still costs $19.99 per month, so you can save $6.98 per month in this scenario.

Notably, you can add Apple devices that you already own to an AppleCare One plan, so long as they are in good condition and less than four years old. A diagnostic check and/or inspection may be required to verify a device's condition.

AppleCare One remains available in the U.S. only.

This article, "'AppleCare One' is Now Even More Valuable" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following through on its promise of a July release, Apple delivered the first public betas of iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more this week, opening up testing to a broader audience.


This week also saw Apple's annual Back to School promotion go live in a number of countries, ongoing fallout from Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI alleging theft of trade secrets, rumors about Apple's iPad lineup, and more, so read on below for all of the details!

Top Stories

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Now Available to Public Beta Testers

Apple this week released the first public betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, and more, allowing anyone with a compatible device to download and test the new software. The public betas come after roughly a month of developer beta testing as Apple heads toward an official launch in the fall.


If you're looking to test out the new public betas, check out our install guides for iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate, and then take a look at our guides highlighting the best features to test out on iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate.

Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer Goes Live in the US: Up to $150 Gift Card With Mac or iPad

Roughly a month later than in recent years, Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in the United States and many other countries.


The exact promotion varies from country to country with some offers including bonus Apple gift cards and others including a free accessory with the purchase of a new Mac or iPad.

In the U.S., education customers can receive a bonus $150 gift card with the purchase of a new MacBook Pro or a $100 gift card with the purchase of a new MacBook Air, iPad Pro, or iPad Air. The MacBook Neo, all desktop Macs, the iPad mini, and the entry-level iPad are not included in the promotion.

Apple Sues OpenAI for Stealing Trade Secrets to Build AI Hardware

Apple last week filed a blockbuster lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing Apple trade secrets in its efforts to recruit Apple employees and build its own AI-driven hardware.


Apple accused OpenAI leadership of creating a culture of hardware theft, and said OpenAI's hardware business is "rotten to its core" because of its reliance on information stolen from Apple.

OpenAI quickly responded to the lawsuit to state that it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets," later stating that it is "not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit."

New iPad Mini With Four Upgrades Reportedly Launching by October

Refresh timing for Apple's iPad lineup appears to be coming into focus, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that Apple is aiming to introduce a revamped iPad mini with an OLED display and additional upgrades by October of this year.


The rest of the lineup, including updated entry-level iPad, mid-level iPad Air, and high-end iPad Pro models, should follow in the first half of 2027. Gurman says Apple is also working on two new Apple Pencil models to replace the existing lower-end Apple Pencil with USB-C port and higher-end Apple Pencil Pro.

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Lineup: New Apple TV, HomePod, and Home Hub

Now that Siri AI is ready to launch in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple can finally introduce new smart home products built to work with the smarter version of Siri.


Apple has multiple new home devices in development, several of which are rumored to launch before the end of the year. so check out our overview covering a new version of the Apple TV 4K, a smart home hub, a new HomePod, and a new HomePod mini.

Here's Why Apple is Reportedly Skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max Chips

Last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is seeking to accelerate its M7 family of chips. It's a move that will see the company forgo releasing Pro, Max, and Ultra variants of its upcoming M6 family, leaving only a base M6 chip that will be quickly followed by an upgraded M7.


Gurman this week provided a bit more color on the situation, describing how significant advancements to AI-related capabilities have long been on Apple's roadmap for the M7 family and that the company wants to bring those to market as quickly as it can.

The M7 Ultra chip in particular is said to be a beast for AI tasks, and could be used by Apple internally to power Apple Intelligence servers. The chip could support up to 1.5TB of unified memory.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate Public Betas, Apple Back to School Promo, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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