Because search engines are a must for wired travellers seeking local information, here's a note of international interest: Google, the most recognized 21st Century brand of the West, has taken on a new name in the East. The Chinese pronunciation of "Google" evidently most resembles words meaning "doggy" or "old hound." I'm not exactly sure how this is a downgrade of what in English is a term with essentially childish connotations, but so be it. In moving to the phonetically easier name "Gu Ge" (pronounced "goo guh" and translating as "song of the harvest grain") which better preserves the English pronunciation and satisfies a Chinese sensibility of poetry of language, Google hopes to demonstrate a continuing commitment to the Chinese market and make the essentially Western product easier for Chinese users. Web savvy readers may recall Google's earlier difficulties with its' Chinese services, including the controversy regarding government censorship of Web sites deemed objectionable.

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[image via endgadget China]