In the word of technological innovation, the major brands and companies go to great lengths to keep their products safe from prying eyes. Companies like Google and Apple Inc. make sure that their projects that are in development are 100% secure. This is most likely to prevent fraud. It could also be a result of an effort to create more hype for a product’s release.
Surprise!
In the age of technology, there are no surprises, as people often leak music and products online before they are officially “out,” and making a product a true surprise makes it much more interesting to consumers.
So, why exactly am I rambling on about pre-release technology security and surprises? Because Google has a big surprise coming, and it has the whole tech world trying to figure out what it is going to be.
Google barges
If you live in the San Francisco area, then you might have seen a mystery barge floating around in the bay. As it turns out, it is likely the property, and location, of Google’s next big project. Efforts to keep the mystery Google barge in SF Bay a secret have surpassed previous measures the company has taken to keep its products safe. The barge is located close to the Bay Bridge, just off of the former military base on Treasure Island.
The dock is completely fenced in, and there are even guards there. What’s more, according to The Globe And Mail, an inspector for a California government agency and a Coast Guard employee had to sign non-disclosure agreements. Another person was working on the barge had to hand over their phone and other personal belongings before going on board. But what could this 250 foot long, 72-foot wide barge really be?
What is it?
Coast Guard visits mysterious ‘Google barge’
One theory is that it is going to be a giant floating Google Glass store, according to an article in CNET. Some think that Google is trying to create a store specifically for Glass in a way that will not mirror Apple. Other online commentators have speculated that the Google Barge will go on a coastal tour, going from port to port selling Glass products at this revolutionary new floating store.
There are a few things to back up this theory. One is Google’s relationship with a glasses company that successfully sells glasses by taking a bus on tour throughout the United States. What’s more, people have found an identical vessel on the east coast, just like the mystery Google Barge in SF Bay. The west coast barge’s registration number is BAL 0010, while the one located in Portland, Maine is registered under BAL 0011.
The Plot Thickens
Hunting for clues about Google’s mystery barge
Coincidence? I guess it depends if you believe in them or not. The point is, that if Google was making a floating retail store for Google Glass, it would make a lot of sense to put one on the east coast and one on the west coast so that the whole country’s coastline would be covered.
But maybe you don’t buy into the whole “store” concept. Other people have theorized that it will be a floating data center. Speculators have said that the water could be used to increase efficiency as a cooling source, or that the barge could be used as a sort of emergency data center on the go. As it turns out, Google does have a patent for a water-top data center.
Whatever the mystery Google Barge in the SF Bay is, one thing is for certain: Google doesn’t want you to know about it. The Globe And Mail reported on an interview with a construction company superintendent who has had a clear shot of Google’s construction of the barge.
Mystery of the floating Google barge solved?
The interview revealed that it has been a work in progress for almost a year now, but that nobody, not a single person, will say a thing about it. The barge has a number of shipping containers that have all been armed with a number of digital devices and electronics. Some of the containers have sides with glass windows, and they were all very carefully welded together.
Who knows, maybe the barge is going to be a water launch pad for a Google space station. Whatever it is, it’s going to be big, and Google fanatics around the country are going crazy trying to get more information about the structure.
