iPad and Steve Jobs apparently can’t keep out of the news.With the release of the iPad, and the updated license agreement for iPhone development, new debates are brewing up. Just take a look at section 3.3.1 of the new iPhone Developer License Agreement:

3.3.1 Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and  objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

Doesn’t this sound rather restrictive?Jobs does come out creative-restrictive solutions for the competition.With the launch of Adobe’s Flash-to-iPhone compiler, this is a rather odd move and it certainly puts a damper on Adobe’s Flash Professional CS5 release.

Certainly, Apple has the right to control the quality and secure nature of its products, and nobody wants to see poorly written or compiled programs allowing viruses and bugs to run rampant on their handheld devices. But just how far is too far?

Soon you’ll be able to neatly organize all your apps into folders right on the iPhone. There’s no need to launch iTunes, either. Just drag and drop apps on top of each other to automatically consolidate them into one folder.

This marks a shift for Apple. Previously app management had to be done via iTunes. But folders can be generated on the fly and even renamed if the auto-name does suit your fancy.

Also Steve Jobs recently announced that iBooks, the hybrid E-reader/book store application that launched alongside the iPad, will be coming to the iPhone.  The interface and store look the same as they do on the iPad, and you’ll be able to purchase a book using either device and sync your current position between them.

And, as a bonus, iPhone users will also get a free copy of Winnie The Pooh.

Microsoft’s pledge to allow easier access to rival browsers in Windows by the middle of May, ended a long antitrust dispute with the European Union.The company has started to send a choice screen, where consumers can easily click on rival browsers, to almost 200 million old and new computers.

Internet Explorer’s share of all Web surfing has in March dropped in France by 2.5 percentage points from February, in Britain by 1 percentage point and in Italy by 1.3 points.

Norway’s Opera Software, the fourth largest browser firm, has seen downloads more than double in Europe from normal levels due to the choice screen, with downloads in Italy, Spain and Poland more than tripling.

Also No 2 browser firm, Mozilla, says it has seen strong growth. SInce the Ballot Choice screen rolls out across all countires Mozilla is expecting to an increase.

Smaller Web browsers have urged the European Union to push Microsoft to provide them more visibility in its browser choice website.

At first sight, Microsoft’s browser Choice Screen shows its own Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Apple Inc’s Safari and Google Inc’s Chrome. It is not immediately obvious remaining choices are available by scrolling to the right of the Web page.

Microsoft has said the screen complies with the EU’s decision. The five largest browsers show directly on the Choice Screen, but smaller vendors say there is nothing to show consumers that more options are available.

Opera has finally submitted its browser to the iTunes store, challenging Apple to reject it, while Firefox has already given a nod to the Windows Mobile version of Fennec.

Opera has been showing off Opera Mini on an iPhone while it claening the bugs in an application that few believe Apple will allow to be sold. Similarly Microsoft’s adoption of that same level of control has killed off the Windows Mobile version of Fennec – the mobile version of Firefox can’t exist within the limitations on the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 Series.

Apple has resolutely refused to allow alternative browsers on the iPhone – arguing that offering multiple ways of doing the same thing just confuses users without adding value. Applications can enhance Apple’s own webkit-based browser, but can’t replace the underlying engine in the way that Opera Mini does.

That’s a shame for those who’d like the faster browsing Opera Mini’s server-based rendering enables, not to mention background tabs that actually load while they’re in the background.

The Apple SDK agreement spells out that applications can’t interpret code for themselves – so no Flash, Java, or similar. Opera argues that because their Mini browser relies on servers to do all the interpretation, the client is simply rendering streamed content and therefore falls within the rules. But those rules also state that Apple can reject anything it likes, without having to explain itself to tiresome Norwegians or anyone else.

Fennec will continue – there are still many mobile platforms which don’t enforce such dictatorial regimes – but Apple has shown the commercial advantages of being the one in charge so it’s only to be expected that many will follow its lead.

Mac fans have another reason to be happy now that Amazon has released an application that lets users read its Kindle ebooks on their machines.

Amazon, maker of the popular Kindle ereader, is trying to cement its leading position as the top maker of ebook readers – and distributor of ebooks – by making content available on other devices.

The move comes just two weeks ahead of the launch of Apple’s new iPad tablet, a device with broader functionality than the Kindle, but which includes an ebook reader application. The iPad, which is expected to arrive next month, is seen as a strong challenge to Amazon.

The online retailer has already made its Kindle books readable on devices such as the Blackberry from Research In Motion and the iPhone and iPod Touch. Kindle books are also readable on PCs.

DETAILS OF Microsoft’s Courier tablet device have been sprayed all over the Internet.

Information on the Courier was leaked to Engadget back in September but Microsoft’s “Digital Journal” has also been spotted starring in a Youtube video. The internal Microsoft video is a demo of the Courier’s interface and its similarities to Apple’s Ipad and HP’s Slate cannot be overlooked.

While the demo only showcases the interface, it’s obvious that the Courier has a dual stylus or digit touchscreen and is intended as an e-book organiser with web browsing and handwriting recognition capabilities.

Engadget’s sources go a few steps further. They claim it is powered by Microsoft’s Tegra 2 chip that the Vole uses for its Zune HD music player rather than Windows 7 and will have a built-in camera, a feature that’s missing in Apple’s first Ipad. Engadget goes on to guesstimate a release date in the second half of this year.

So far Microsoft hasn’t released any statements to confirm or deny Courier. But the Vole always wants high volume sales so we’re betting on a price much lower than either the Ipad or the Slate.

This Monday might put one more contender on the “phone” front : Microsoft is going to launch its Windows Mobile “comeback”…a supposed direct challenge to Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone.

The company is planning to use the opening day of the GSM Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain to publicly show off what has, until now, been called Windows Mobile 7.

Microsoft’s phone-maker partners to show off devices running the successor to Windows Mobile 6.5, which was unveiled at a conference in 2009.

The only two questions are the name of the new operating system and whether it’ll contain the same code as versions that predate the release due next Monday.

The new term being used is “Windows Phone 7″.

It might also be due to the company’s new re-organised marketing sector. Under the change, Microsoft veteran and former general manager of Microsoft’s advertising and customer engagement Gayle Troberman has been named as chief creative officer.