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Google's MYSTERY barges floating off US shores: The TRUTH

Admen spill beans on what's planned for secret metal monsters

Google has shed more light on just what it plans to do with a pair of floating barges off either coast of the US.

The advertising giant told The Register that its two vessels, officially known as Google Barges, will in fact be designed to serve as nautical showrooms for the company's latest and greatest products.

"A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above," the web search kingpin said.

"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 statement more or less ends widespread speculation on what Google was aiming to do with the barges. Spotted floating in the waters of the San Francisco Bay last month, the mystery ship drew attention from the public and authorities alike. A second ship was soon brought to the waters off of coastal Maine.

Mountain View's mysterious seaborne barges had been theorized to be anything from floating nightclubs to covert research and storage units to the (accurate) consensus belief that the units would function as moving demonstration venues for the company's hardware projects.

Google has no shortage of shiny new toys to show off on the nautical venues. The company is continuing to push its Glass platform to developers and a fresh crop of Android devices would benefit greatly from an expansive environment in which hardware features and services could be demonstrated.

Whether such a behemoths will make its way down London's Thames is yet to be seen. Google is remaining tight-lipped on whether more barges would be deployed or if the current pair would be moved to locations around the globe. ®

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