Smartwatches don't have to look ugly to be functional. Clothing and accessories designers are collaborating with engineers to produce computerized wristwatches that people will want to wear all day and night.

With Apple Inc. preparing to release a watch line that includes an 18-karat gold edition, rivals know they need to think beyond devices that look like miniature computers — with their rectangular screens and wristbands made of rubber-like materials. If the watches aren't attractive, the market won't grow beyond a small niche of users.

Apple is turning its retail stores into art galleries featuring the work of professional photographers and other artists who use iPads, iPhones and Mac computers to create.

Travel photographer Austin Mann used an iPhone 6 to take otherworldly panoramic photos of an Icelandic glacier. Mann, who recalls mowing lawns for a summer as a 7th grader to save up for his first, bright green iMac in 1998, says his use of an iPhone and high-end cameras is "split pretty even" when it comes to professional work.

When the charismatic founder of upstart Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi took the stage at an Internet conference, he was open about his ambition: world domination.

"In the next five to 10 years, Xiaomi has the opportunity to become the world's number one smartphone company," Lei Jun told the Chinese-organised World Internet Conference.

Olympic cycling medalist Dotsie Bausch is hooked on data, and she wants everyone to know it.

Showing up at this week's Consumer Electronics Show as a spokeswoman for the medical technology group Masimo, Bausch offered a demonstration of her cycling skills and the data she uses to train.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler appears poised to propose new rules that would classify Internet service providers as public utilities in a move designed to ensure everyone has the same access to free content online.

Wheeler strongly indicated Wednesday that he favors the shift to tougher regulations, describing it as "just and reasonable" during an appearance in Las Vegas at the International CES, a technology industry gadget show.

On a dusty stretch of Nevada desert, a quadcopter drone kicks up a small cloud as it takes off. It then trails its operator on a drive across the flat terrain, filming the motion from a short distance above.

The AirDog drone was designed to capture the intensity of extreme sports that have been difficult to access -- surfing, skiing, off-road biking and similar activities.

It has four wheels, is always connected and the driver is optional: the car of the future is starting to take shape from collaboration between automakers and their technology partners.

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a new breed of cars with nearly complete autonomy and elaborate gadgetry has provided a peek into transportation solutions in the coming years.

American audio equipment maker Monster LLC is suing rival Beats over claims it ripped off headphone technology ahead of the firm's sale to Apple for more than $3 billion.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in California, alleges Beats co-founders music mogul Jimmy Iovine and rapper Dr Dre pirated the "Beats By Dr Dre" headphone line from Monster and its CEO Noel Lee.

For the consumer who wants a smartphone to make an impression, the Lamborghini nameplate can do that -- for a cool $6,000, shipping included.

Tonino Lamborghini Mobile on Monday announced the global launch of the stainless steel-and-leather handset ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LG Electronics on Monday promised to take some of the hassle out of doing laundry with a first-ever washing machine setup that simultaneously handles two separate loads.

The Twin Wash system featured an ample-sized, front-loading washer resting atop a mini-unit that opened like a drawer and was designed with small batches of clothing such as delicate items in mind, according to a presentation by the South Korean consumer electronics giant on the eve of the major Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.