Asia is one of the most populous and culturally diverse parts of the planet. Not only does the region include China and India, two immense countries, but also Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim country, Korea - the world's greatest adopter of broadband technology and a host of other nations with complex histories and complicated futures.

Using multi-sited ethnographic techniques and theory, Dr Genevieve Bell sought to gain a better understanding of the Asia Pacific region from the inside out. Ultimately, the Inside Asia research project encompassed ethnographic fieldwork in 19 major urban centers and regional hubs across Asia. With fieldwork in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Korea and Australia, Dr. Bell's project traces the ways in which cultural practices in urban Asia are shaping people's relationships to new information and communication technologies. Her work not only points to new usage models but also identifies barriers to technology adoption. This research project has complicated and deepened Intel's understanding of the Asia Pacific Region, and has helped to inform design and development of new computing technologies, as well as shaping strategy and economic engagements. Dr. Bell's research also raises as yet unanswered questions about cultural conceptions of technology and its various roles in cultures around Asia.

Dr. Bell provides insights into Asian cultural practices and technology adoption through this series of three interviews published in the Technology@Intel Magazine. Genevieve Bell is a cultural anthropologist and senior researcher in the People and Practices Research Lab within the Corporate Technology Group. During her six years at Intel she has conducted ethnographic research in Western Europe, Asia and the United States. She has worked on issues around eCommerce, online and digitally enhanced museums, and technology up-take in middle class households in Europe and Asia. Bell has bachelor's and master's degrees from Bryn Mawr College, and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stanford University. Prior to joining Intel she taught anthropology, Native American studies and feminist theory at Stanford Universities.