Google breaks silence on mystery barge
Google is breaking its silence on the mysterious barges that set the tech world abuzz with rumors and speculation.
The tech giant is not discussing specific details about the barge, but spokesperson for Google released this statement to CBS News:
"Google Barge ... A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above. Although it's still early days and things may change, we're exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology."
Three barges off the coast of California and Maine were spotted last month, each stacked four-stories high with shipping containers. Two of the barges are floating of the coast of San Francisco's Treasure Island and the third in Maine's Portland Harbor.
Theories about the barge included being a floating data center that could be moved in a natural disaster and it was retail space for Google Glass. According to CBS station KPIX source, the first three floors would serve as "dazzling showrooms" and an upper "party deck" would host upscale customers.
Intrigue surrounded the vessel after several reports surfaced that the U.S. Coast Guard was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement before boarding the ship, San Francisco's mayor Ed Lee was in the dark and that the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Corporation refused to issue Google a permit to tow the barge into the city.
