Computerworld is reporting that Apple, Inc. is reneging on the initial claim that “all the iPad 3G models are unlocked,” as the Cupertino company will be SIM-locking the Japanese version of the iPad 3G to WCDMA carrier Softbank Mobile. Softbank, currently the exclusive vendor of iPhones in The Land of the Rising Sun, will purportedly be selling the iPad 3G subsidized with a price tag comparable to other unlocked international versions of the device. In Japan, the practice of SIM-locking is far more commonplace — and stringent — than here in the States. Carriers are not required to, and therefore don’t, offer unlock codes to their customers and third-party unlocking services are, for the most part, non-existent. Apple’s decision to reverse course in the eleventh hour is not likely to win over the hearts and minds of potential iPad 3G buyers in Japan still on the fence — especially those who prefer a rival WCDMA network such as NTT DoCoMo.  The iPad 3G is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on May 28th.

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It's impossible not to love the concept of doubleTwist, the all-devices-welcome quasi-iTunes music manager, but up to this point the software has been pretty barebones. Now, things are gettin' ser-i-ous: doubleTwist has a built-in music store, courtesy of Amazon.

To put this into context, doubleTwist debuted not just as an alternative music manager for people with or without Apple players, but as a giant, coded jab at iTunes, Apple, and the way they do business. After launch, DVD Jon, who created doubleTwist, spent a few months waging a small-scale PR war, hanging Apple-baiting banners in San Francisco and parodying their famous "1984" ad. With Amazon MP3 store integration, that ad's promise—to "bring you choice"—has come true, and it's worth a thousand PR stunts

As has been the case with every other aspect of doubleTwist, the music storefront looks like a simpler version of the one in iTunes. Navigation and searching are about as simple as they could be, as are downloads, which only take a few clicks. The whole experience will be familiar to anyone weened on Apple's bloated beast, apart from a few things: Amazon's album prices are often lower than iTunes', and of course, you can immediately sync any music you download—there's only music, by the way—to practically any device you own, be it a Pre, a BlackBerry, a Sandisk, an iPod, or whatever.

The first version is Mac-only and tied to Amazon's US store, but Windows (and international) versions are on their way. [doubleTwist via Techcrunch]