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Google's mystery barge is likely a floating retail store for Glass

November 1, 2013

Residents of the San Francisco bay area have been wondering just what that giant barge is that showed up a few days ago. There have been plenty of rumors, notably that it's a floating data center for search giant Google.

But the blog 9 To 5 Google says it has confirmed that it's actually a floating retail facility, and its emphasis is Glass. Made up of modular 40-foot shipping containers, the barge is topped off by a large "party deck." What is still unclear is whether the "store" will be open to the public, or just to select VIPs.

According to CBS:

The building is constructed of interchangeable 40-foot shipping containers that can be assembled and disassembled at will, allowing it to be placed on barges, trucks or rail cars and taken anywhere in the world, the source said. Google could send it to a ski resort one day and then have it shipped to the beach a few days later.

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