function utf8_encode (argString) {
  // http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net
  // +   original by: Webtoolkit.info (http://www.webtoolkit.info/)
  // +   improved by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
  // +   improved by: sowberry
  // +    tweaked by: Jack
  // +   bugfixed by: Onno Marsman
  // +   improved by: Yves Sucaet
  // +   bugfixed by: Onno Marsman
  // +   bugfixed by: Ulrich
  // +   bugfixed by: Rafal Kukawski
  // +   improved by: kirilloid
  // +   bugfixed by: kirilloid
  // *     example 1: utf8_encode('Kevin van Zonneveld');
  // *     returns 1: 'Kevin van Zonneveld'

  if (argString === null || typeof argString === "undefined") {
    return "";
  }

  var string = (argString + ''); // .replace(/\r\n/g, "\n").replace(/\r/g, "\n");
  var utftext = '',
    start, end, stringl = 0;

  start = end = 0;
  stringl = string.length;
  for (var n = 0; n < stringl; n++) {
    var c1 = string.charCodeAt(n);
    var enc = null;

    if (c1 < 128) {
      end++;
    } else if (c1 > 127 && c1 < 2048) {
      enc = String.fromCharCode(
         (c1 >> 6)        | 192,
        ( c1        & 63) | 128
      );
    } else if (c1 & 0xF800 != 0xD800) {
      enc = String.fromCharCode(
         (c1 >> 12)       | 224,
        ((c1 >> 6)  & 63) | 128,
        ( c1        & 63) | 128
      );
    } else { // surrogate pairs
      if (c1 & 0xFC00 != 0xD800) { throw new RangeError("Unmatched trail surrogate at " + n); }
      var c2 = string.charCodeAt(++n);
      if (c2 & 0xFC00 != 0xDC00) { throw new RangeError("Unmatched lead surrogate at " + (n-1)); }
      c1 = ((c1 & 0x3FF) << 10) + (c2 & 0x3FF) + 0x10000;
      enc = String.fromCharCode(
         (c1 >> 18)       | 240,
        ((c1 >> 12) & 63) | 128,
        ((c1 >> 6)  & 63) | 128,
        ( c1        & 63) | 128
      );
    }
    if (enc !== null) {
      if (end > start) {
        utftext += string.slice(start, end);
      }
      utftext += enc;
      start = end = n + 1;
    }
  }

  if (end > start) {
    utftext += string.slice(start, stringl);
  }

  return utftext;
}