A barge built with four levels of shipping containers is seen at Pier 1 at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California October 28, 2013. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
Search giant Google on Wednesday finally broke its silence over the so-called “Google Mystery Barge” docked at San Francisco Bay’s Treasure Island, which for the past month has peaked everyone’s interest from maritime to tech buffs alike.
In an emailed statement to the tech website Techrunch and other media outlets, Google finally admitted:
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.
The four story barge, which has been linked to at least one other mystery barge in Portland, Maine, has led reporters on a wild goose chase trying to determine just what the barge could be used for.
Reports over its purpose have ranged from being one of Google’s patented floating data storage centers to an uber-exclusive showroom for the company’s new Google Glass.
The barge even prompted a visit from the U.S. Coast Guard last week, who kept mum on details as they have an “obligation to protect sensitive proprietary information”. The Coast Guard only said that its personnel had been onboard the barge, identified as barge BAL0010, to conduct routine inspections and ensure compliance with applicable, safety, security, and environmental protection regulations.
But for now the mystery is over. The “Google Barge” at San Francisco Bay’s Treasure Island is simply “an interactive space where people can learn about new technology”… whatever that means.
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