tech news 3/28/14

It's been a long battle, but Microsoft seems to have figured out a definitive strategy for keeping Apple's hands off proceeds from its mobile software. But in many ways, Apple is the smaller of two birds Microsoft just clipped with a single stone. Today marks the announcement of Office for IPad, Microsoft's core productivity suite that, slightly different than on iPhone, exists on tablets as standalone "freemium" apps. In doing so, Microsoft has pulled in the most asked-for platform into its Office 365 umbrella, tying its effectiveness to that $99 annual subscription service and locking out Apple from the 30 percent cut as to be expected.