Mystery over for Google's Glass barges as Maine ship sold for scrap

Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2015
Google's plan for a series of floating showrooms that would help consumers get to know -- and, ultimately, purchase -- its new Glass wearable platform appears to have sunk, as its East Coast constituent looks to be headed for a Maine scrapyard.

Google Glass barge retail store
Google's low cost, super-sized floating retail strategy being assembled on a barge. | Photo: Daniel Eran Dilger


A Google-owned barge located in Portland, Maine, has been towed to a scrapyard in South Portland, according to the Portland Press Herald. The barge's upper-deck structure of cargo containers will reportedly be disassembled and sold as scrap before the barge itself is sent on to a new buyer.

"Bummer," Portland spokeswoman Jessica Grondin told the publication when asked about the barge's ignominious end. "I was hoping for something to come from this. Everybody was waiting to see what was actually going on."

Google's barges first became the subjects of speculation last October, when the multi-story structures were first spotted and connected to the search giant. Some believed them to be floating data centers, though they later turned out to be designed as showrooms for Google's new wearable projects.

Construction was forced to a halt in March of this year after Google failed to obtain the proper permits from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. It is unclear to what degree those legal quandaries affected the Maine barge, as its San Francisco sibling remains docked in the harbor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 53
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Seemed like a dumb idea if it was in fact for consumers to preview Glass. Did Google ever say for certain what the barges would be used for specifically? Not sure myself, but the whole thing sounded weird if the news articles were anywhere near accurate.

    As far as Glass itself it's not anywhere near ready for general consumers IMO. Maybe Gen2 instead and use this version for the pros like doctors, techs, firemen, etc that are evaluating it.
  • Reply 2 of 53
    Worst. Title. Ever.
  • Reply 3 of 53
    Please, Google, take every Google Glass that you have ever made, all the r&d, everything to do with Glass, and put it on that barge.
  • Reply 4 of 53
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member
    How totally weird.
  • Reply 5 of 53
    splifsplif Posts: 603member

    "Bummer," Portland spokeswoman Jessica Grondin told the publication when asked about the barge's ignominious end. "I was hoping for something to come from this. Everybody was waiting to see what was actually going on."

     

    Everybody = almost no one

     

    Quote:


    Google's barges first became the subjects of speculation last October, when the multi-story structures were first spotted and connected to the search giant. Some believed them to be floating data centers, though they later turned out to be designed as showrooms for Google's new wearable projects.


    Cart before the horse

  • Reply 6 of 53
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Funny. I thought the barges were going to be Google Casinos.
    Offshore so they wouldn't have to obey local gambling regulations or whatever.
    Would have been far more interesting for customers and more profitable for Google.
  • Reply 7 of 53
    dreyfus2dreyfus2 Posts: 1,072member
    When Eric Schmidt heard Jobs say "real artists ship", he made an impulse buy.
  • Reply 8 of 53

    Google doesn't look at the money they make as "earned" income. I don't know how else to explain their haphazard approach to "growing" their business.

     

    Best

  • Reply 9 of 53
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post



    Funny. I thought the barges were going to be Google Casinos.

    Offshore so they wouldn't have to obey local gambling regulations or whatever.

    Would have been far more interesting for customers and more profitable for Google.

    It is absolutely amazing how little analysts are writing about another waste of time and money Google has spent on these barges. If Apple did something like this, there would be no shortage of rage coming from nearly every analyst and would-be analyst in the world. Oh well. I will take the silence for Google and the noise for Apple as analysts really caring about what Apple does with its time and money! <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

  • Reply 10 of 53
    There's innovation for ya!
  • Reply 11 of 53
    pscooter63pscooter63 Posts: 1,080member
    sockrolid wrote: »
    Funny. I thought the barges were going to be Google Casinos.

    Just imagine: a card-counting Google Glass app...
  • Reply 12 of 53
    bspearsbspears Posts: 147member
    Steve could have pulled this off. Eric? Not so much.
  • Reply 13 of 53
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post



    Please, Google, take every Google Glass that you have ever made, all the r&d, everything to do with Glass, and put it on that barge.

     

    Google Glass may not be a smashing success, but it does advance one area of technology.  Wearables are still very new, everyone is still learning and researching.  It would be a loss to wipe out all the time, money, research, and lessons learned from what Google has done.  

  • Reply 14 of 53
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    There goes Google Island.

  • Reply 15 of 53
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    It is absolutely amazing how little analysts are writing about another waste of time and money Google has spent on these barges. If Apple did something like this, there would be no shortage of rage coming from nearly every analyst and would-be analyst in the world. Oh well. I will take the silence for Google and the noise for Apple as analysts really caring about what Apple does with its time and money! :lol:
    Better question is, why aren't people invested in Goolge stock not screaming at them yet? This is yet another stupid moonshot project, that cost them millions, gone up on smoke. As an investor, I'd be calling for the resignation of the entire board, the CEO, and the entire executive team, who consistently and constantly blow millions of dollars on projects that go NOWHERE.
  • Reply 16 of 53
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    One thing I do like about Google: they try some weird stuff. Map the world? Street view the world?
    You try weird things some times it won't pan out. Some times it will.
  • Reply 17 of 53
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member

    Why doesn't Carl Icahn (or someone like him) show up at Google shareholder meetings asking about this boondoggle, funded by shareholder money?

     

    Apple puts Dyson hand dryers in their restrooms and people ask, "Why?!" 

  • Reply 18 of 53
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Not bothering to sell the barges as fully finished/furnished is a waste of resources.
  • Reply 19 of 53
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
    When Eric Schmidt heard Jobs say "real artists ship", he made an impulse buy.

    Haha nice
  • Reply 20 of 53
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by leavingthebigG View Post

     

    It is absolutely amazing how little analysts are writing about another waste of time and money Google has spent on these barges. If Apple did something like this, there would be no shortage of rage coming from nearly every analyst and would-be analyst in the world. Oh well. I will take the silence for Google and the noise for Apple as analysts really caring about what Apple does with its time and money! <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />


     

    A rising tide lifts all boats.

    Except the Google Barge.

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