Facebook on Monday confirmed that it has grabbed a hold of Branch, a social network that focuses providing online forums for insightful conversations.

Terms of the deal were not released, but some reports estimated the price at $15 million.

Hugely popular SimCity will be coming down from the cloud, letting fans play the rich world simulation game without needing to be connected to the Internet.

Electronic Art's Maxis studio in Northern California put out word Monday that the eagerly-awaited modification to the game will be part of a free software update.

Twitter revamped its desktop webpages Monday to better mirror the experience of visiting the popular one-to-many text messaging service on smartphones.

The change comes as people increasingly take to visiting online social networks and other online venues from mobile devices instead of laptop or desktop computers.

The biggest gadget trade show in the Americas wrapped up on Friday in Las Vegas after swamping the city with 150,000 attendees. This year, "wearable" computing was big, along with various 3-D technologies, especially 3-D printing.

Wearable devices in the shape of smartwatches and head-mounted displays have been a staple of the show for a long time, but manufacturers were excited this year because the field is finally gaining traction with consumers. Fitness bands were a breakout hit last year. The 3-D printing section bustled with activity, and it was clear that even though most people won't be buying a printer any time soon, they may be enjoying 3-D printed products, such as jewelry, wedding cakes and dental braces, in the near future. Meanwhile, TV makers were heartened by the support they received for their new ultra-high-definition TV sets.

A connected basketball promises to improve your jump shot. Embedded sensors which gather and analyze data offer hope for a better swing in golf, baseball or tennis.

The worlds of sports and technology came together this week at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, highlighting ways science can help improve performance for the weekend warrior or professional athlete.

Appliances are becoming part of the family, weighing in with insights while helping with chores from cooking to doing laundry.

Home networks that allowed household items such as lamps, thermostats and locks get "smart" with Internet connections and computing power were among trends gaining steam at the Consumer Electronics Show that ends here Friday.

The hackers who got into your computer or smartphone are now taking aim at the Internet of Things.

The connected toothbrush, sports gear with embedded sensors and smart refrigerators are just a few of the objects showcasing innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Gabriel Bestard-Ribas got tired of his house keys scratching his smartphone in his pocket, so he combined them.

The result was a Goji lock, which senses when a resident's smartphone is near and not only unlocks a door but greets the resident by name.

As the car becomes a connected Internet device, the titans of the tech sector are battling for control of the wheel.

The war is shaping up a lot like the computer sector, with Google, Apple and Microsoft and others fighting to be in control of the vehicle's "operating system" to deliver apps, navigation and other services.

Even over the moonscape Nevada desert, even in a 1950s seaplane, the Internet is there.

Flying from Las Vegas to Lake Mead on the amphibious Albatross One, in-flight services firm Global Eagle Entertainment is demonstrating its ability to deliver connectivity under unusual conditions.