Last week we published a story about the mysterious ‘Google Barges‘ that had popped up in the harbours of Portland, Maine and San Francisco – and caused mass hysteria as people attempted to guess what they were for. Some suspected a secret water-borne data centre, or a marketing platform, but Google has dispelled any myths with a recent statement.

“Google Barge … A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above,” a Google spokesperson confirmed to Tech Crunch.

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.

Apparently reporters had all guessed wrong because they were examining the wrong San Francisco lease. If they had found the right lease, they would have seen that the purpose of the barge’s actual lease is the “fabrication of a special event structure and art exhibit only and for no other purpose.”

Apparently the barges were constructed ‘with portability in mind’, the shipping-container components being able to move onto land or sea. The project is supposedly a product of the experimental Google[x] labs headed by company founder Sergey Brin.

[Source : Tech Crunch]