Quick news from around the Web.
You knew this was coming: Amazon Web Services slashed its prices for the 42nd time. (By @gigabarb) http://t.co/WVmXVLG6Wn
— Gigaom (@gigaom) March 27, 2014
> Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is likely going to unveil Office for the iPad today. Article (sub. req.)
> ZTE expects LTE phones will be 40 percent of 2014 shipments. Article
> BlackBerry CEO John Chen vented about leaks and said the company is taking legal action against someone who has disclosed confidential information. Post
> Former Verizon Communications executives Ivan Seidenberg and Dick Lynch joined the board of M2M company On-Ramp Wireless. Release
> Alcatel-Lucent inked a $1 billion deal with China Mobile that paves the way for future network functions virtualization and cloud-based services. Release
> BlackBerry said it received security clearance for U.S. government employees to use its enterprise software on their Android and Apple smartphones and tablets. Article
> BlackBerry also said that has become the first mobility solution to receive "Full Operational Capability" to run on U.S. Department of Defense networks from the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency. Release
> Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said more than one billion users now access the social network through mobile applications. Article
> Has the high-end smartphone market peaked? Article
> Yahoo Japan said that it would buy mobile and broadband provider eAccess from its parent SoftBank for $3.17 billion. Article
> LG Electronics will start shipping the G2 mini in April. Release
> Windows Phone 8.1's new store may help users find apps faster. Article
> Microsoft and Dell inked a patent licensing deal under which Dell will pay Microsoft royalties on sales of devices powered by Google's Android or Chrome software. Article
> King, the maker of hit game Candy Crush Saga, on Wednesday saw its stock close down 15.56 percent from its IPO price of $22.50 a share. Article
> Samsung Electronics failed to keep its new Galaxy S5 smartphone from going on sale early in South Korea. Article
> Representatives from Snapchat failed to show up at a U.S. Senate hearing. Article
> Apple reportedly filed a patent for smudge-resistant sapphire coating, suggesting such displays are coming to Apple products. Article
Wireless Tech News
> Affirmed's CEO: NFV "has made telecom sexy again." Editor's Corner
> The newly constructed World Trade Center complex in New York City also has a new distributed antenna system (DAS) that was installed by Axell Wireless to support a bevy of public-safety users. Article
> Range Networks' new engineering team has improved the firm's OpenBTS software with an aim toward taking the technology out of the lab and into the commercial world, according to company CEO Edward Kozel. Article
> ABI Research said equipment revenue from outdoor small cells will enjoy a 33 percent year-on-year growth rate, reaching $1.8 billion in 2014. Article
Telecom News
> Copper retirement, cable wholesale, international expansion and small cells took center stage at COMPTEL Spring 2014. Editor's Corner
> CenturyLink has been tapped by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to build a fiber network for three Air Force bases in the Colorado Springs area. Article
Cable News
> Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen has reportedly reached out to DirecTV CEO Mike White about merging the two satellite services. Article
> Vodafone, already the world's second largest mobile carrier, is looking to increase its footprint in the cable space as well--either through acquisition or competition, according to CEO Vittorio Colao. Article
> New findings from Deloitte's Eighth "Digital Democracy Survey" confirm what MVPDs already knew, or strongly suspected: U.S. consumers are becoming "digital omnivores," devouring content across tablets, smartphones and laptops. Article
And finally... Can instant messaging damage your wrists? Beware of "WhatsAppitis." Article