Since getting to Japan, I've gotten so sick and tired that Google and amazon and a host of other oh, so smart websites think it's pretty cool to assume I read Kanji since my IP address is in Asia. I can't use my browser's Google search bar, because when I type in a search it searches for Asian content, and displays it in Japanese. Yes, I can save the preference for English for the web-page Google, but not the search bar box. Yuk. No, the web is not "smart", just as dumb as the programmers want to be.
Sure, this works for the locals over here, but there is a VERY LARGE group of overseas Americans, both military and civilian business persons, that this seriously impedes any decent, productive web-browsing. Or drives us to use other provider's search engines that don't have this behavior: I was using Searchalot for my default search bar engine.
To top it off the frustration, I have subscriptions to Netflix that I can't watch due to the fact I am outside the USA. By golly, I've paid for it, I'm a US citizen on "extended vacation", and I want my video!
Well, I've found the solution to access my subscriptions, and get Google and the gang to think I am back where I belong: back in America.
It's a free software program called Hotspot Shield, distributed by anchorfree.com
It's paid for by subscription, and creates a virtual VPN back to a stateside IP address. Voila! Back the US of A! Woo Hoo!
Netflix streams once again.
Google is in English!
