The Christmas holiday made for a slow news week, yet there were a few items that caught my eye.

The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, part of the Department of Commerce, announced revisions to export license thresholds for MMIC and discrete transistor power amplifiers. Industry largely prevailed in preventing stricter controls requested by the Department of Defense. Read the rulings and regulations here and here.

Verizon deployed 200G over a 200 mile optical network using Ciena's WaveLogic hardware and software. The data rate was achieved using 16 QAM and 50 GHz optical carrier spacing.

Mexico's Federal Competition Commission approved AT&T's purchase of Iusacell, the country's third largest mobile operator, according to Reuters.

Should hotels have the right to block personal Wi-Fi hotspots? Google and Microsoft say no, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Survey says grandparents prefer getting tech support from their grandkids. Perhaps the grandkids are more patient than their parents?

The New York Times has a fascinating story on the rise and fall of Yahoo and CEO Marissa Mayer's efforts to restore their market leadership.

Analog Devices has a new dual, passive receive mixer with PLL and VCO, with 0.7 to 3 GHz RF coverage, 40 to 500 MHz IF range, 9 dB gain, and 11.3 dB SSB NF.