Verizon, Google develop iPad rival

Verizon Wireless is working with Google on a tablet computer, says the carrier's chief executive, Lowell McAdam, as the company endeavours to catch up with iPad host AT&T in devices that connect to wireless networks, states The Wall Street Journal.

The work is part of a deepening relationship between the largest US wireless carrier by subscribers, and Google, which has carved out a space in mobile devices with its Android operating system. Verizon Wireless last year heavily promoted the Motorola Droid, which runs Google's software.

"We're working on tablets together, for example. We're looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience," explains McAdam.

Whether they are driven by privacy concerns, or fed-up with the amount of time they spend updating their accounts, Facebook users are apparently increasingly curious about the social networking site's farewell policies, reports InformationWeek.

The phrase "how to quit Facebook" generated 16.9 million results in a Google search on Tuesday morning, while "how do I delete my Facebook account?" resulted in 15.9 million links.

Some well-known industry names have made much-publicised cuts to their Facebook ties. Google's Webspam chief Matt Cutts deactivated his Facebook ties on 22 April, according to comments he made on Twitter. "I just deactivated my Facebook account using the guide. Not hard to do & you can still revive it later," he wrote.

Xhead = UK piracy losses hit £1bn

The seventh annual joint investigation by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and analyst firm IDC has claimed that £1 billion worth of unlicensed software was installed in the UK last year, writes Computing.co.uk.

Britain has the sixth lowest rate of software piracy in the world, at 27%, but this theft comes at the cost of businesses and the economy as a whole, according to the Global Software Piracy Study. Georgia has the highest rate, at 95%.

"Although the UK has one of the lowest piracy rates in the world, 27% is nothing to be proud of. £1 billion is an awful lot of money to lose in a recession, and ultimately this will have an impact on the software industry and the UK economy," says Michala Wardell, chairman of the BSA UK Committee.

Mozilla CEO John Lilly will leave the non-profit company as soon as it can find a replacement, ending his more than two years at the helm of the maker of Firefox, says PCWorld.

Lilly will become a venture partner at Greylock Partners, but will remain on Mozilla's board of directors, he wrote in a blog post.

After helping to start several tech companies, Lilly joined Mozilla in 2005 and stepped up from chief operating officer to CEO in January 2008, taking over from Mitchell Baker, who became chairman.