Google engineer Larry Schwimmer today announced the arrival of Google Moon, a lunar version of the map technology seen on Google Earth.

This is one small step for Google, one giant leap for lunar location-based marketing.According to Google, "Google will fully integrate Google Local search capabilities into Google Moon, which will allow our users to quickly find lunar business addresses, numbers and hours of operation, among other valuable forms of moon-oriented local information."

Google is already hiring to staff its lunar base. "Google is interviewing candidates for engineering positions at our lunar hosting and research center, opening late in the spring of 2007," the company says. "This unique opportunity is available only to highly qualified individuals who are willing to relocate for an extended period of time, are in top physical condition, and are capable of surviving with limited access to such modern conveniences as soy low-fat lattes, The Sopranos, and a steady supply of oxygen."

While Google's pledge to "Do No Evil" has won the admiration of like-minded enemies of evil everywhere, the company's support for whimsical technology and humor do more to burnish the brand than lofty promises that don't translate easily into Chinese.