Google Faces Lawsuit for Alleged Illegal Data Collection; LinkedIn Stocks Surge 11 Percent

Every week, Mountain View makes news with technology developments, discoveries and sometimes controversies.

Today, Mountain View Patch brings you “Bits and Bytes,” where we’ll relay the past week’s news highlights from our backyard giants, start-ups and small businesses alike.

A federal judge made a strike against Google on Wednesday, when it denied the company’s request to dismiss a handful of lawsuits against it. They allege that the tech giant illegally collected information from several open wi-fi networks, and used it for its “Street View” map feature.

More privacy issues may be on the horizon for Google after a Google+ user complained that her photos did not remain private and within her "circle of friends." Google+ is the company's latest attempt at a social networking platform after the failure of Google Buzz for, you guess it, privacy issues.

On Tuesday, LinkedIn stocks surged 11 percent, or $8.31 to $84.69. Before its sudden growth spurt on the New York Stock Exchange, the social networking company’s top underwriters came out with optimistic predictions. JPMorgan predicts that the shares will raise to $85 in the next 18 months, Bank of America projects $92, and Morgan Stanley is betting on $88.

Virgin America passengers will now have more than just free wi-fi (or should we say wi-fly) while cruising at 30,000 feet. The airline announced on Thursday that all passengers will also be able to test out Google’s new Chromebook during their flight. From July through the end of October, they will be able to check out the devices to use on their flight.

Egnyte, which delivers cloud file server solutions, announced today the launch of Egnyte for the new . Through the device, Egynte users will be able to access an array of business files stored on the cloud, and share files using links and attachments. 

Not your typical prize: On Wednesday, Complete Genomics Inc., a complete human genome sequencing company, announced that it is jumpstarting a “cancer grant program.” The winners--two from the U.S., and two from Europe--will receive complete genome sequencing of eight genomes. The grant applications, for cancer-specific research projects, are being accepted now through July 29.

Cheers to Symantec, who was honored with two 2011 STAR Awards for Excellence from the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA). It received the STAR Awards for Excellence in Value-Added Support and in Customer Commitment, garnering recognition for its “Business Critical Services” and its high quality customer support.