VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Apple seems to be gearing up to go into sapphire crystal display manufacturing as documents reveal that the company is buying furnaces and chambers as well as tools for the purpose, TechCrunch reported citing a report from 9to5Mac and information from its own source.

Georg Petschnigg, Chief Executive Officer of creativity tool Paper, wants Facebook to change the name of the new mobile news app that it launched last week, which is also called Paper.

Flappy Bird, a mobile game created by Hanoi-Vietnam-based developer Dong Nguyen of dotGears Studios, hit the top spot of free mobile apps in the Google Play and iOS app stores, mainly because it is very challenging and frustrating.

Seattle, US-based beauty product startup Julep launched a crowdfunding campaign on its website to raise $75,000 for a new bendable nail polishing tool to test the demand for the said product.

Data showed that Android holds the top spot as the most popular mobile platform in the world but Samsung is clearly under pressure as local players step up their game, TechCrunch reported.

Samsung, the world's biggest cellphone maker, inked a 10-year patent agreement covering all present and future technology patents with Google, the maker of Android operating system.

Wisconsin-based firm Salon Management Enterprises has acquired Fantastic Sams' seven hair grooming outlets in the Fox Cities and Green Bay region for an undisclosed sum, to be upgraded and re-branded to its NewStyle Salons brand.

Compared to the spending of its five biggest US rivals combined, Google Inc has spent more money in the past two years in its effort to reach out to new markets, Bloomberg reported.

NSP Semiconductor Chief Executive Officer Richard Clemmer told Bloomberg that he is thinking of making as much as $1.5 billion in acquisitions of semiconductor companies that complement its core operations.

Apple and Samsung consented to have a mediator to help put an end to their patent disputes before their next trial will begin in March, Bloomberg reported.

Sales of Apple's App Store surpassed the $10 billion mark last year, reinforcing its lead over Google's Play Store in the arena of mobile computing, the Financial Times reported.

Tech giant Apple has purchases Australia-based startup SnappyLabs, a one-man team behind the photo app that augments iPhone's camera, according to earlier reports by TechCrunch and Recode.

Hong Kong-based children's entertainment startup Roam & Wander successfully raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Hong Kong and Taiwan angel investors as it prepares to expand its US retail operations.

The rising use of mobile computing has prompted the development of fresh technology startups around the world as international entrepreneurs hope to get a share of the markets for tablets and smartphones, the Financial Times reported.

Carl Icahn has proposed that Apple increase its stock buyback program to $50 billion but Apple cited reasons why shareholders should not vote for it.