I’m fascinated by the way mobile works in China. Based on everything I read it seems China is far ahead of the US in the way technology has been absorbed in the day-to-day fabric of society. I’m not making the case that that’s actually a better way to be but more of an observation of how different daily life can be when technology is embraced in nearly all areas. This is much easier with China with more centralized control and a few companies, namely Tencent and Alibaba, that have monopolies over every device.

The latest is a post on the A16Z blog highlight how QR codes are used in China. They range from being used to purchase toilet paper in public restrooms to booking a by-the-minute gym to renting a phone charger. The QR codes are just a means here and rest on a strong micropayments foundation but it’s difficult to imagine such a system existing in the US. I’m tempted to visit China just to see what a society built around mobile looks and feels like.