Is Apple looking to build a data center next to Facebook in central Oregon?

Apple may follow in the footsteps of Facebook and build a data center in the Oregon high desert, according to a report citing two people with direct knowledge of Apple’s plans.

The Oregonian reports that Apple is the mystery company using the codename “Maverick” in its discussions with local officials about a possible data center just down the road from the facility Facebook opened this past spring.

Earlier this month, Prineville city engineer Eric Klann told Wired that both “Maverick” and another company, codenamed “Cl...

Student engineers get down to business at Facebook's Hackathon. (Photo: Caleb Garling/Wired)

“Yes! We have elegance!” says a student from the University of Waterloo. Then he pauses, and his shoulders slump. “Actually,” he adds, “I don’t know what the fuck this is.”

He points to a botched graphic on his computer screen, and his fellow students crowd around. They talk quietly among themselves, making suggestions here and there, and ultimately, they find a way of achieving something at least a little closer to elegance.

This is what happens at a Hackathon. If you’re a spectator, it’s not exactly riv...