VENTURE CAPITAL POST

China's Xiaomi Inc [XTC.UL] has agreed to buy about 3 percent of software firm Kingsoft Corp Ltd from Tencent Holdings Ltd for HK$527 million ($67.99 million), according to a Kingsoft filing on Monday.

Samsung Electronics recently offered to buy BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY.O) (BB.TO) for as much as $7.5 billion, seeking its valuable patents as it battles Apple (AAPL.O) in the corporate market, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.

Mark Zuckerberg and Xiaomi Inc CEO Lei Jun discussed a potential investment by Facebook in China's top smartphone maker ahead of its $1.1 billion fundraising last month, but a deal never materialized, several people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Two of three global industry groups vying to establish a dominant standard for wireless charging technology have agreed to merge, bringing consumers a small step closer to throwing away their smartphone power cords.

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors promoted younger executives on Friday, in moves analysts said would help smoothen an eventual leadership succession at the family-owned conglomerate.

Shares in Cheil Industries Inc (028260.KS), the de facto holding company of Samsung Group, doubled on its debut on Thursday in the latest in a series of steps toward generational succession for South Korea's largest conglomerate.

Taiwan has identified 12 smartphone brands that do not conform with privacy standards, and the handset makers could face fines or a ban unless they address the breaches, an official at the telecoms regulator said on Friday.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd agreed to sell its fibre optics operations to U.S. specialty glass maker Corning Inc, exiting another non-core business to focus on shoring up underperforming key areas like smartphones.

Insiders say staff at Samsung Electronics have never been so anxious ahead of the annual reshuffle, as a weak smartphone performance and its worst earnings in three years are expected to cost many jobs.

Investment in the fast-growing market for Internet-connected devices gathered pace this year and is set to attract more top U.S. technology and telecoms buyers of firms active in the market, a report from a merger advisory firm said on Thursday.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) on Wednesday announced a $2 billion share buyback plan, its first since 2007, following investor calls for higher returns against a backdrop of rapidly declining profits.

South Korea's Samsung Group said on Wednesday it is selling stakes in four chemical and defense firms for 1.9 trillion won($1.72 billion) to Hanwha Group, the latest move in the massive task of restructuring the country's largest conglomerate.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) has secured a license to invest $3 billion to expand its production in northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese government said.

Japan's loss-making Sony Corp plans to slash its TV and mobile phone product line-ups to cut costs, counting on multi-billion dollar revenue surges for its buoyant PlayStation 4 and image sensor businesses over the next three years.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd aims to restore its crumbling lead in the global smartphone industry in part by ramping up high-end devices with curved screens full of advanced technology that's tough for rivals to replicate.