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Google Barge Arrives at Port of Stockton

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Google's mysterious barge has left the San Francisco Bay and set up shop in the Port of Stockton about 80 miles away.

As reported by local Stockton paper The Record, the barge will remain in Stockton for at least six months, with Google paying about $10,000 per month to house it there.

The Port of Stockton confirmed the news by re-tweeting The Record's news story and posting to its Facebook feed. "Awesome!" it added.

The Google barge has been at San Francisco's Treasure Island since late last year. But in February, the search giant was ordered to move the boat after officials failed to secure the necessary permits.

Responding to complaints, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) investigated the Google barge, and found that neither the Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) nor the city of San Francisco had construction permits for the site. "Operating without a permit within BCDC's jurisdiction is a violation of state law and is grounds for the imposition of administrative civil penalties," commission executive director Larry Goldzband wrote in a letter to the TIDA.

It appears Google has tried to curry more favor with officials in Stockton than in San Francisco. Port director Richard Aschieris told The Record that Google has hosted workshops for local business owners to discuss setting up business websites, and provided them with one year of free service.

The barge, meanwhile, is intended "as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology," according to Google. When it first emerged in the Bay (and another off the coast of Maine), there was speculation that it was a floating data center, since Google had secured a patent for such a technology. But it appears it will instead be a retail store on water of sorts.

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About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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