Samsung

Samsung this weekend teased what it'll have on display next week at CES, and it appears the South Korean tech giant will be showing some new TV designs. In a blog post Sunday, the company said it would be showing off an "unprecedented new TV shape and timeless design," according to a translation by The Verge .  Along with the short text, the company also posted a picture, which can be seen above, showing a tree in a desert landscape. The tree is centered in a vertically oriented rectangular frame resembling a television screen.

SAN JOSE -- A trial pitting Apple against Samsung kicked off Monday in federal court in San Jose, with jury selection underway in the closely watched patent-infringement case. Prospective jurors were grilled through the morning about whether they had friends who worked at Apple or other tech companies; the brand of their cellphones and tablets; and what books they had read concerning Apple and/or Samsung. The selection process took place in U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh's courtroom on the fifth floor of the courthouse, with dozens of prospective jurors sitting in several rows of seats usually used by spectators.

Apple versus Samsung. The iPad versus Galaxy Tab. IOS versus Android. Bitter rivalries until the very end, right? Not quite. If you're one of the expected millions of consumers who picks up Apple's new iPad , you'll be peering into a 9.7-inch, Samsung supplied touchscreen whenever you use your tablet, according to a Bloomberg News report. Although Apple and Samsung are suing each other in the U.S. , Europe , Asia and Australia , with more than 20 lawsuits having been filed in at least 10 countries, the two adversaries are also business partners when there is a mutual benefit to be had. And in Apple's third-generation iPad, there is a lot of mutual benefit to be had. Apple sold 15.43 million iPads in the last three months of 2011, up 4 million from the prior three-month period.

Samsung has released a second video previewing some of the features coming on its Premium Suite upgrade for the Galaxy S III. The features detailed in the latest video of the GS3's upcoming software upgrade focused on improving camera and photo capabilities as well as adding features for users with disabilities. The standout feature is one called Camera Best Face, which is meant for group photos. This feature will take five different pictures, and after its done, each person in the picture can choose the favorite shot of their face.

Although there are hundreds of companies making and selling cellphones, Apple and Samsung accounted for 95% of the industry's profits in the fourth quarter of 2012. Apple alone claimed 70% of the cellphone industry's total worldwide profit of $16 billion, while Samsung had 25%, according to a report released late Thursday night by Counterpoint Technology Market Research. In third place was Nokia with 2%. That left the remaining 3% to be split by about 300 companies. 10 tech companies to watch in 2013 "Apple has essentially created the smartphone sector as we see it today and its combination of beautiful, easy-to-use products coupled with a rich content and application environment has enabled it to attract outsize profits," Couterpoint Research said in its report.

Samsung is supersizing its line of Galaxy smartphones with two new devices, including one that has an enormous 6.3-inch screen. The South Korean tech giant introduced the 5.8 -inch and 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega smartphones Thursday, saying the two phones provide an "optimal viewing experience. " With their release this May starting in Europe and Russia, the Galaxy Mega devices will be two of the largest smartphones out on the market. Until now, the Huawei Ascent Mate, with a 6.1-inch screen, was regarded as having the largest smartphone display.

Samsung is looking to eclipse its 2012 sales record by shipping more than a half billion phones in 2013. To be exact, Samsung is planning to ship 510 million phones next year, according to The Korea Times. That would represent a 20% increase over the 420 million phones Samsung is estimated to ship for 2012, according to the report. Broken out, 390 million of the devices are expected to be smartphones while the other 120 million would be feature and budget phones, according to The Korea Times, which cites unnamed sources at Samsung and its suppliers.

Samsung is investing $112 million for a 3% stake in struggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp -- a key supplier to rival Apple. The South Korea company will purchase nearly 36 million shares at a price of about $3.11 in a move aimed to strengthen the two companies' relationship, Sharp said. The deal is expected to be completed by March 28. Photos: 10 tech companies to watch in 2013 Samsung's investment probably will lessen Sharp's dependency on Apple. Currently, Sharp supplies screens for Apple's iPad and iPhone 5 devices.

Samsung has added another 5-inch screen phone to its Galaxy line-up, introducing a new device with a mid-range price. The South Korean company announced the Galaxy Grand early Tuesday morning. The phone is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note II, the company's 5.5-inch-screen phone that is available from most U.S. carriers for $300 on a new contract. Samsung declined to say how the device would be priced, but mid-range smartphones typically sell for about $100 to $150 with a contract.