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Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

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Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#13
post #7

Very interesting... Any chance that this will mean the Govt can't subpoena data from this data center if it is floating far enough from the US coast? Or does it not matter because clearly the US will be the closest harbor?

In international waters, it matters more which flag your ship is sailing under than which port is closest.

Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#14
There are actually 4 "vessels". Look at the names -- using binary :)

  BAL0001	BY AND LARGE LLC	*	*	C & C MARINE & REPAIR LLC	2010	Freight Barge	2164.0	249.6
  BAL0010	BY AND LARGE LLC	*	*	C & C MARINE	2011	Passenger Barge (Inspected)	2520.0	260.1
  BAL0011	BY AND LARGE LLC	*	*	C & C MARINE	2011	Passenger Barge (Inspected)	2520.0	260.1
  BAL0100	BY AND LARGE LLC	*	*	C & C MARINE	2012	Freight Barge	2164.0	249.6

Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#15
post #7

Very interesting... Any chance that this will mean the Govt can't subpoena data from this data center if it is floating far enough from the US coast? Or does it not matter because clearly the US will be the closest harbor?

On international waters you follow the laws of the country where the ship is registered.

So, most likely Liberian or Panamanian law...

Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#16
another cool thing about floating data centers in california is they're pretty much earthquake proof... built in shock absorbers (aka water).

You can probably charge a premium for easily accessible highly secure data I would imagine.

... assuming megalodon isn't still around

Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#18
post #9

I was Googling to find what a boat-based wave-powered generator would look like, and I found this interesting diagram: http://www.greenpatentblog.com/2011/12/08/fraunhofers-mobile...

That seems... very inefficient. But I don't know enough to argue it.

Re: Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?

#19

There are actually 4 "vessels". Look at the names -- using binary :) BAL0001 BY AND LARGE LLC * * C & C MARINE & REPAIR LLC 2010 Freight Barge 2164.0 249.6 BAL0010 BY AND LARGE LLC * * C & C MARINE 2011 Passenger Barge (Inspected) 2520.0 260.1 BAL0011 BY AND LARGE LLC * * C & C MARINE 2011 Passenger Barge (Inspected) 2520.0 260.1 BAL0100 BY AND LARGE LLC * * C & C MARINE 2012 Freight Barge 2164.0 249.6

FYI, "Buy N Large" was the fictional Costco-like store from Pixar's WALL-E.
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