Treading Water

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Google's reluctance to spill the beans on the specifics of its barge in Treasure Bay may cost the project the proper permits required for completion. In early November, Google acknowledged that although the purpose was in flux, the main objective is "[to use] the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology." But that's not enough for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which launched an investigation to discover if the proper permits were issued for building the multi-level barge. It's not likely that the probe into permits will reveal much more than Google's building plans, but there may be clues into whether or not the barge will ever leave the Bay. [Via CNET]