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You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review

When Samsung first released the Series 9 in 2011, it quickly became one of our favorite laptops of the year. Then, once Intel threw its marketing weight behind Ultrabooks, it became our favorite Ultra. But the Series 9 was born in the Windows 7 era, and it became harder and harder to recommend as touchscreens became the standard. Now, though, we have the ATIV Book 9 Plus, the first truly flagship-level Ultrabook Samsung has released since Windows 8 came out.

As you'd expect, it trades in the Series 9's matte, anti-glare display for a touchscreen. What's more, though, Samsung also cranked up the resolution, retiring that old 1,600 x 900 panel in favor of a 3,200 x 1,800 one. And, of course, it steps up to a newer Haswell processor, which promises not just faster performance, but also longer battery life (not that endurance was a problem on the original). So is it still our favorite Ultrabook? Pretty much.%Gallery-slideshow99388%

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Samsung shipping ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Tab 3 in the coming weeks, promises business-minded variants this fall

Samsung shipping ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Tab 3 in the coming weeks, promises businessminded variants this fall

B&H may have jumped the gun a bit, but here's the word from the proverbial horse's mouth: Samsung's high-specced ATIV Book 9 Plus will be available for pre-order in the United States beginning August 18th, with shipments of the $1,399 laptop to commence shortly thereafter. For those in need of a brief recap, the 13.3-inch rig packs a QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) touchpanel, a Core i5 4200U processor, 128GB SSD, a battery good for 7.5 hours and a copy of Windows 8.

Meanwhile, that ATIV Tab 3 that we handled back in June is getting a proper ship date of its own, with Sammy assuring Americans that they'll be able to snap one up starting on September 1st for $699.99 -- thankfully, that tally does include a Bluetooth keyboard / cover combo. It's said to be the planet's thinnest Windows 8 slate at 0.31-inches thick, with a proposed 7 hour battery, preloaded Office Home & Student and one of those always-lovable S Pens. For whatever it's worth, it appears that Samsung's distaste for Windows RT in the States hasn't carried over to tablets with Windows 8 onboard... yet, anyway.

Oh, and for the enterprising individuals in attendance? Samsung has promised "to introduce versions of both products specialized for business use in the fall." Nifty!

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Source: Samsung

Samsung’s 3,200 x 1,800 ATIV Book 9 Plus listed for $1,400, shipping August 20th

Samsung's 3,200 x 1,800 ATIV Book 9 Plus listed for $1,400, shipping August 20th

Samsung generated some buzz last month with its ATIV Book 9 Plus sporting a res-tacular 13.3-inch, 275 ppi touchscreen, but left people asking "when" and "how much?" Retailer B&H Photo-Video seems to have answered those questions, listing a $1,399 price and expected availability of August 20th (at the source). That sum will get you a 1.6GHz Haswell Core i5-4200U dual-core CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, Intel HD 4400 graphics, Windows 8, and of course, that 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen. As we noted before, you'll be able grab more RAM, a bigger SSD and a Core i7 processor for the light-ish 1.39kg (3.06 pound) device if you're willing to pay more. Though those options aren't listed yet, they'd likely price you into MacBook Pro Retina territory -- but at least you'd get way more pixels.

[Thanks, Jason]

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Source: B&H

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Book 9 Lite hands-on (video)

DNP Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Book 9 Lite handson

Samsung's long since decided to rebrand its Series 9 series as ATIV Book 9, but it's only now that it's got some new Ultrabooks to show off. While the ATIV Book 7 unfortunately jumped the Haswell gun, the higher-end ATIV Book 9 Plus is happy to benefit from those impressive battery savings we've already seen from Intel's next-generation chips. In fact, Samsung is promising 12 hours of usage -- and that's despite the Plus model arriving with an eye-watering 13.3-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 qHD+ display. In addition, there's up to 256GB SSD storage and 8GB of RAM, two USB 3.0 ports and mini-VGA and micro-HDMI sockets. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass and, alongside adding touch functionality since the previous Series 9 Ultrabook, Samsung has crafted a new hinge for its latest flagship, offering two stop-points. Moving the screen through to a standard 105- to 110-degree pitch, the screen strongly resists. Better still, there's really not that much give as we tapped our way through Windows 8. However, give it more of a sustained push, and the screen bends down to a flat 180-degree position, making it easier to show the screen around a table.

It's joined by the humbler Book 9 Lite, with a lower (though unspecified) price. Powered by an unnamed 1.4GHz quad-core processor and housing up to a 256GB SSD drive, it promises a cold-boot time of eight seconds, or two seconds from sleep. It's the same size screen (13.3 inches) as the Plus model, but resolution drops down to 1,366 x 768 -- a noticeable difference when you observe the two side by side. Turn them off, however, and the interiors of the two machines are so similar that even the most hardened Samsung exec might be fooled (excepting for that Intel sticker on the high-end model). On the outside, though, the systems remain noticeably different. The Book 9 Plus gets a moody, matte finish to its aluminum unibody, while the Book 9 Lite has a glossy plastic surface. The cheaper Lite model reminds us of the finish on Samsung's Galaxy smartphone series, but it'd be great to see Samsung bring this other, cooler finish to more products. Both Ultrabooks are expected to land in the US (and elsewhere) in time for back-to-school season. Check out the gallery below, and follow past the break for more impressions.

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Samsung intros ATIV Book 9 Plus flagship Ultrabook, ATIV Book 9 Lite

Samsung intros ATIV Book 9 Plus flagship Ultrabook, ATIV Book 9 Lite

We haven't heard much about Samsung's Series 9 Ultrabooks for a while, barring a resolution bump late last year. Today, though, the company announced the follow-on to that product. Two follow-on products, actually. The company just introduced the ATIV Book 9 Plus, a 13-inch flagship laptop that appears to be the direct replacement to the old Series 9. In addition, the company announced the ATIV Book 9 Lite, another 13-inch ultraportable that doesn't quite rise to the level of flagship status.

Starting with the Plus, it steps up to Haswell processors (Core i5 and i7), as well as a 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen. Sammy also made improvements to the old Series 9's backlit keyboard and trackpad. (Think: the sort of excellent touchpad found on the recent ATIV Book 7). The new display, meanwhile, is coated in Gorilla Glass and has a 72 percent color gamut. The Plus offers two hinge positions -- one at about 105 degrees and another all the way down to 180 degrees. Additionally, the company's opted for OCR bonding this time around, which should offer an improved touch experience, say company reps. With the touchscreen, the weight is up to 1.39kg (3.06 pounds) -- definitely not the lightest 13-inch touchscreen Ultrabook we've seen, but still plenty portable. As for battery life, you're looking at 12 hours, according to Samsung. And given the performance of some other Haswell machines we've already had a chance to test, we're inclined to believe it.

Meanwhile, the ATIV Book 9 Lite has up to 256GB of solid-state storage and an unnamed quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz (it's an AMD chip, we hear). As a slightly lower-end device, it has a 1,366 x 768 display, and also comes in a more playful gamut of colors, including white, red and the usual black. Battery life is rated at 8.5 hours, compared with 12 for the Plus. Likewise, you get 4GB of RAM, versus eight gigs on the flagship model. Also, it will be available in both touch and non-touch versions, with the non-touch model weighing in at 1.44kg (3.17 pounds) and the touch one tipping the scales at 1.58kg (3.48 pounds). The Book 9 Plus and Lite will launch globally in Q3, but in the meantime we've got a hands-on post on ready for your perusal.

Mat Smith contributed to this report.

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