Apple

Apple rumored to hold September event at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Apple has rented out the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco for its all-but-confirmed September iPhone event, reports Hoodline. The publication says it has seen documentation from event logistics indicating the company has the building through September 12th.

Today's news follows speculation from earlier this week that Apple is behind a mysterious "trade show" booking at the Civic Auditorium for the first two weeks in September. On Monday, SFPD officers and private security guards began patrolling the grounds at the building.

Jony Ive, Jimmy Iovine to speak at upcoming Vanity Fair event

Apple's chief of design Jony Ive and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine are set to speak at an upcoming Vanity Fair event. The publication just announced that the pair will join a cornucopia of tech and entertainment luminaries at its New Establishment Summit in October.

Ive spoke at last year's VF New Establishment Summit, touching on a number of interesting topics such as his design process, relationship with Steve Jobs and thoughts on copycats. So we're anxious to see what he has to say when this year's event kicks off on October 5th.

Apple expected to debut new iPhones, iPads and Apple TV on September 9

Apple is planning an event for Wednesday, September 9 to announce new products, according to BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski. The well-connected reporter is hearing that the company will use the stage to unveil new iPhones, iPads and Apple TV.

In line with previous rumors, Paczkowski says the new iPhones—which the press has been referring to as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus—will feature pressure-sensitive Force Touch displays, improved camera systems and significantly faster processors.

New Apple TV coming in September with full App Store, report says

We are finally going to see the long-rumored update to Apple's set-top box this fall, reports BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski. The well-connected journalist says sources have informed him that the company plans to introduce a new Apple TV in September.

Pacszkowski says to expect a slimmer chassis and new internals, anchored around Apple's A8 processor. He also says the remote has been "drastically improved" with a built-in touchpad for input, and there will be a native App Store and developer kit.

Hands-on with the Apple Watch

Following today's event, select attendees were given the opportunity to go hands-on with a working version of the Apple Watch. You may recall, Apple allowed journalists to try out demo versions of the wearable when it debuted last fall, but this is much different.

This time around, folks were actually allowed to launch apps, navigate menus and play with various features. We've collected a number of videos showing these initial impressions, in an effort to help paint a proper picture of what to expect when you get your Watch next month. 

Apple event recap: everything about Apple Watch, new MacBook, ResearchKit and more

The sun is beginning to set in Cupertino, which signifies that Apple's media event day has come and gone. The keynote is over, all announcements have been made, and we now know what the fabled 12-inch MacBook looks like, and how much the golden Apple Watch will cost.

A lot has happened over the past 12 hours, and we understand that it can be tough to keep up with everything throughout the day. So tonight, as we like to do every post-event evening, we've put together a roundup telling you everything you need to know about Apple's big event.

Apple Watch will be available for pre-order April 10, ships on April 24

Wrapping up the Apple Watch portion of today's event, Tim Cook answered a number of long-awaited questions regarding the upcoming wearable. We now know more about pricing, configurations, and when it's going to be available. Cook says the Apple Watch will become eligible for pre-order on April 10, and will start shipping on April 24.

iOS 8.2 will be available for download today

On stage at Apple's media event on Monday, Tim Cook announced that iOS 8.2 will launch to the public today. The software update, which has been in beta for several weeks now, will bring about the Apple Watch companion app that will allow your iPhone to talk to the upcoming wearable.

We saw a preview of the app back in January, when it was unearthed from a developer beta. It will allow users to customize a wide range of things on their Apple Watch including the Clock app with personalized monograms and alerts for notifications, people in your Contacts list, and more.

Apple makes first steps into medical research, introduces ResearchKit

Apple's Jeff Williams has just taken the stage at the Apple Watch event to talk about a new venture for the company: medical research. The SVP of Operations explains how working on HealthKit for iPhone led the Cupertino firm to release a new platform to aid in medical research, called ResearchKit.

"For all the amazing breakthroughs medical researchers have made, they still face big challenges," Williams said. "Sometimes, researchers see patients only once a quarter, making it difficult to get a complete picture of their health." And that's where ResearchKit comes in—now researchers can create apps.

Apple Watch: everything we know so far

Speculation has surrounded Apple Watch for years – far back into the technological dark ages when it was referred to as 'iWatch' – but, despite being exceedingly more enlightened at present, we still don't know everything about Apple's long-awaited wearable.

That will change on Monday when Apple's 'Spring Forward' event goes live, at which time more information about Apple Watch is expected to release, including prices and additional features. After the event, those attending will likely be able to go hands-on with an array of fully functioning Apple Watches in the white structure going up beside the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The team at iDownloadBlog will be covering the keynote as it happens, per usual. Until then, however, tech and fashion enthusiasts must occupy themselves with the facts given us by Apple and leaks from other sources. As a result, we've compiled everything we know and think we know about Apple Watch.

Banners begin going up at Yerba Buena Center ahead of Apple Watch event

Apple has begun decorating the outside of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, ahead of Monday's Apple Watch event. Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin posted the above photo on Twitter this afternoon, showing a banner being hung on the front of the building.

The image on the banner matches the one on the invitations Apple sent out to media members last week for the event, which it has dubbed 'Spring Forward.' The phrase is a reference to Daylight Savings Time, which begins Sunday, and hints that the event will focus on the Apple Watch.