Google has officially come clean about those mystery barges on either coast of the US. According to Google, they may use the Barge(s) as “an interactive space where people can learn about new technology”. Of course, the answer wasn’t as close-ended as we would have hoped for, but at least Google acknowledges they are responsible for the project.
In a statement to TechCrunch, a Google spokesperson spoke to the scope and purpose of the barges, and the misdirection was evident. According to Google, they’re still not totally sure what they’ll do with it:
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.
New technology? Remember these barges fall under the auspice of Google X, so who knows what they could house. We’re also curious as to why they’re barges, rather than standalone showrooms. Not all technology applies to all areas of the world, and with Google’s slow worldwide rollout of things like Play Music, it could make these barges a polarizing target for misguided anger.
Then again, they are said to be invitation only, so they could end up being big press hives for reporters to get hands-on with all things Google. Some reports even have them as a method of moving equipment that can be assembled on land for showing off whatever it is Google wants to show us. Now that Google has sworn of dinosaurs, there is only one option left for the ‘moonshot’ laboratory: the space elevator.
Wonder if those people will be cheap programmers right at the cutting edge of international waters so they can outsource the jobs of dinosaur Google programmers. 😉