Oracle Suing Google for Billions; Renault-Nissan Opens Research Office in Mountain View

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

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

On Thursday, Oracle revealed in a court filing that they are suing Google for billions. They claim that their fellow tech giant is infringing on patents through the use of code language in Android phones. Google isn’t buying it though, quipping that Oracle’s claim is "unreliable and results-oriented.”

With the ubiquity of online blogs and forums, it can be hard to keep tabs on when one’s name appears on the Internet. But new Google feature, “Me on the Web,” now makes it easier for users to keep tabs on when they (or at least someone sharing their name) is mentioned on the web, sending weekly or daily alerts depending on the user’s preference.

Renault-Nissan has opened a joint company research office in Mountain View, situated directly across from the Google campus. The office will work on projects involving vehicle IT development, advanced engineering research and technology recruitment. A hefty chunk of their research will focus on electric vehicles, which CEO Carlos Ghosn has pledged $5.6 billion toward.

On Wednesday, 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, announced it now has more than 100,000 users. The company’s Personal Genome Service® launched 3.5 years ago, and now includes the DNA data of more than 100,000 people.

The Mountain View start-up AppRedeem also announced on Thursday that it raised $700,000 in seed funding from SV Angel and Blue Run Ventures. In conjunction with the announcement, the company--which aids mobile app developers--is launching a new app of its own, offering real world rewards and merchandise for using mobile apps which they promote.

ShotSpotter raised a total of $10 million, which it plans to apply to new technology developments. The company specializes in gunshot location and detection, and its major backers included New York-based City Light Capital, Oakland-based Claremont Creek Ventures and Silicon Valley-based Lauder Partners.