GeekWire reporter Taylor Soper is in the second week of his reporting trip to China, where he has been meeting with tech entrepreneurs, hearing from Alibaba’s Jack Ma, and even covering a University of Washington basketball game.
We caught up with Taylor over Skype from Beijing to talk about what he has experienced so far, what has surprised him most, and how the trip has changed his perspective on technology. (And, yes, we talked about those amazing dumplings.)
The overwhelming focus on smartphones and mobile technologies in China has left a big impression. People in their 20s in China have essentially “skipped the laptop phase,” he explains, recounting one of his conversations with an entrepreneur in China.
“Everyone is on their phone. … It’s kind of staggering,” Taylor said. “It’s a lot more than what you notice back home.”
We get a preview of some of his upcoming stories, including highlights from his visit to Microsoft Research Asia, and talk about the technologies Taylor has been relying on to communicate and overcome the language barrier during his trip.
Listen above, and read all of Taylor’s reports so far on our special coverage page.
