3:57 pm: Walt welcomes Cher Wang to the stage.

Walt: So your title at HTC is chair, is that right? Or chairwoman? How do you … ?

Cher Wang: Chairwoman.

Walt: Chairwoman. Good. Okay. I want to get around to talking about the company and all of that stuff, but I think you have a fascinating life story, and could you just kind of tell it briefly?

Cher Wang: I thought this is a technology forum.

Walt: It’s a technology forum, but we’re also interested in the human side.

Cher Wang: Okay.

Walt: So how did you get your start?

Cher Wang: Well, you know, I actually started with making model boards before, a long, long time ago, maybe 30 years ago. And actually, well, let me tell you about HTC again. Actually, I started dreaming about mobile lifestyles, things that was … and we have to put in these motherboard into the …

Walt: You were selling these motherboards.

Cher Wang: Yes … a case, right? And I have — I was in Europe and I have to drag up and down the train stations. And it was very tiring, you know, dragging this big, you know, PC, and showing the customer the performance. So — and while it’s very tiring, you know, you’re always daydreaming in the train and start … about these mobile phones.

Walt: So basically you were dreaming about the mobile phone so that you wouldn’t have to carry a big box?

Cher Wang: Yes, that we can actually communicate with our loved ones and listen to music. And that’s how I started. And these dreams actually are coming true these days, that mobile lifestyle. And it’s actually very interesting and very exciting to me.

Walt: So when did you found HTC?

Cher Wang: 1997.

Walt: And you also founded some other companies, this motherboard company, I don’t know what the name of it was.

Cher Wang: Oh, that’s a long time ago. It’s called FIC.

Walt: But there’s another one, right? VIA?

Cher Wang: Yes.

Walt: Which is a semiconductor company.

Cher Wang: Yes.

Walt: And you have some other investments in broadcasting and other things that you do, right?

Cher Wang: Yes.

Walt: So you — you’re just a multitalented woman.

Cher Wang: Well, you know, I’m basically just a curious person and when — this world is just very fascinating and it’s very exciting. So you see something new, right, and you want to pop in and really get to know what’s going on. And you find the right people with you that have the same vision, you just want to start with something, right?

Walt: Okay. So in 1997 you started HTC. And the company for a long time was — primarily it made phones for other brands. Is that right?

Cher Wang: Yes. Yes, we actually very — it was very early that we started with these handheld device. And we have this dream. And we actually tried pedaling our technology, you know, our innovation, to these OEMs. And it’s just very hard to communicate with something new. And it’s very hard also to get our consumers understand what’s our value. So, you know, it’s just we actually decided that we have to really communicate our innovation through our brand name.

Walt: And that’s — what year was that you really kind of shifted to try and establish the brand?

Cher Wang: 2007.

Walt: So not that long ago, right?

Cher Wang: That’s right.

Walt: When Android came out, you were the principal hardware partner, I think ,doing Android phones. And it almost became synonymous. Motorola, you know, did some, but I think the G1 was yours and you were — like at least I associated, and a lot of people associate HTC with Android. I think the — my sense is in the last year, 18 months, things have shifted some, mostlybecause Samsung, which is a much bigger company, has decided to make a giant push into this. Talk to me about that. How do you — is the competition harder than it was?

Cher Wang: Well, you know what? I think that mobile lifestyle and personal smartphone devices is still in the very young stage. And sometimes people get ahead, sometimes other people get ahead, and sometimes we get ahead, but it’s just — the market is so big and so exciting and, you know, you just have to keep looking. And our phone is great, right? It’s the competition, we welcome the competition. And the competition is ourself.

Walt: So who do you think of, when you guys sit and make your plans, as the principal competitor, and who do you not worry about?

Cher Wang: I really believe that the competition is within ourself, how do we really be determined, how do we really look into the opportunity and really want to bring people’s life better and give them value. I really believe that.

Walt: I believe you that you really believe it, but you’re also really smart, so you must have some sense of there are other companies out there competing for people’s dollars. And people have a finite amount of money. Most people, not counting this audience, probably are only going to buy one smartphone at a time. There are probably people here with three or four, but I’m looking at you first row I think, you know, but so they’re either going to buy an HTC phone or they’re going to buy an iPhone or they’re going to buy a Galaxy or they’re going to buy a Motorola or when, you know, some — a Nokia Windows phone when they become available. You have a lot of competitors out there, right?

Cher Wang: Yes. Yes.

Walt: Tell me if I’m right or wrong that Samsung has come on in a strong way.

Cher Wang: Well, I really believe that the smartphone is still in the very young stage.

Walt: Yes, you said that.

Cher Wang: And there is a lot of innovation that can be implemented into your smartphone, and today that we are better, and sometimes some people have choice of other phones. But once that you touch our HTC, you will never try to put it down.

Walt: So you’re just not going to talk about Samsung? Is that right?

Cher Wang: Who is that?

Walt: Okay. There’s a — obviously, another booming, booming market in tablets. You have a couple of tablets, am I right?

Cher Wang: Yes.

Walt: But it doesn’t seem to be as big a focus for HTC as for some of the other companies. Can you talk about this? Do you think it’s the right moment for tablets? Is it just iPads and they happened to be lucky or what’s the deal? What’s going on? How do you look at the whole tablet market?

Cher Wang: Yes, I really think tablet is also in the even younger stage.

Walt: Yeah.

Cher Wang: And it’s — the most important thing is the — how do you actually bring these holistic experience about software and hardware and combined with the smartphone and different type of mobile devices. And, again, for the — your customer, end user — these holistic values and experience, that’s the most important. And I really think tablet is still in a very young stage.

Walt: Do you really believe the stylus is a competitive advantage?

Cher Wang: Yes. I really believe that. So there is a lot of applications. The mobile lifestyle is just so enormous … interesting and a lot of innovation. And that’s a lot of like entertainment, education, health, you know, social networking. There’s a lot of innovation coming in. And it’s going to combine with your smartphone and your tablet. It’s another, you know, pen actually. You know, I really believe that …

Walt: So how many tablets have you sold? Not smartphones, tablets.

Cher Wang: Oh, I think you know better than me, Walt.

Walt: Well, if I had to guess, I’d say not very many.

Cher Wang: Well, it’s going to be many. It’s going to be. You know, you will be surprised.

Walt: So your next tablet is going to sell big?

Cher Wang: I think we are improving all the time. And as I repeat that tablet is still in the very young stage. And we believe that at HTC, we believe we are the forerunner of the smartphone. That smartphone is really the central units that you can hold in your hand and control the world.

Walt: Do you worry about competing with companies that are much bigger than you that have the ability to bring into the system their own chips, their own, you know, hardware components, their own glass, things like that? You’re — you are innovative. I agree. You’ve been a very innovative company and you’ve built a good, highly respected brand. I wouldn’t have you here on stage if that wasn’t true. But you’re a smaller company than some of the people competing with you. I mean, Apple now, you know, designs their own processor. Ironically, it’s made by Samsung, but, you know, they design it. They buy, in gigantic scale, flash memory and glass. And Samsung, of course, is a company that has divisions that makes all of these things. Does this put you at a disadvantage in this competition?

Cher Wang: You know, Walt, if you actually visit our company, you will be amazed of our engineer capabilities, not only in chipset designing, integrations, and also that our software capability. And also one thing about HTC I think is an advantage over a lot of companies, that we are very good with partners. The partners actually bring their technology to us and try to ask us to actually bring their technology up. … In the beginning that when we started HTC and we already believed that if we want to be successful, we have to really bring — embrace all talents, all of the international talent in our company. So actually that if you walk into our meeting room, not even — even R&D, that you will — actually it’s just like the United Nations.

Walt: What’s your No. 1 goal? To have the biggest market share?

Cher Wang: Well, you — of course, but I really believe that how you really change people’s lives and bring the value to our customers. You know, I believe that technology can change people’s lives.

Walt: What about people that can’t afford smartphones? What are you doing there?

Cher Wang: Yes, I think technology is getting better and better, and cheaper and cheaper. Well, I think that one, that smartphone is going to give the people tremendous value even for the people who cannot afford it. This is something that really bridge, you know, talk about a bridge the digital gap. The smartphone is going to bring people that type of experience. And I believe that technology just keep improving.

Cher Wang Session Photos

So why Asia? It seemed the most obvious choice for us, as we looked at the global landscape for tech. While the whole world has now been engulfed in the powerful trends of digitalization, perhaps nowhere else has been as important a place for understanding where it is headed next than this region, which is home to companies critical to the next phase of innovation.

There’s no question that Silicon Valley, which has been the base for most of the key players — such as Google, Apple, Facebook and more — has driven the digital revolution over the past decade. But as we look out onto what’s to come, it’s clear to us and many others that what’s coming next and even the next great company might be born here.

That’s why we have created a conference that mixes both important speakers from U.S. tech and also from all over Asia.

Given that smartphones are in ascendance globally, having Andy Rubin, who runs Google’s Android efforts, is a no-brainer. The longtime mobile exec is at the top of an aggressive push by the Internet giant to dominate the important sector across the world.

Speaking of domination, Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma efforts to make the company a powerhouse in China and elsewhere are hard to ignore. His recent tussle and interest in Yahoo, as he has built a wide-ranging Internet giant, should make for an interesting interview.

Expect a deep dive into what makes the future Web work with Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey, who is someone breaking new ground as he tears down old digital paradigms. With Twitter, Dorsey redefined the real-time world and how the virtual one communicates; with Square, he is upending the payments arena.

Nvidia is not only a pioneer of graphics chips, but now its processors are widely used in the latest mobile devices. That’s why its founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has a lot to say about the future of the fastest-growing sector of computing, from smartphones to tablets and whatever’s next.

Asus Chairman Jonney Shih has presided over the Taiwanese tech giant since the early 1990s. Most recently, the company pioneered the netbook market and is now plunging deeply into the tablet business, making Shih perfect to discuss these key issues in Asia and around the world.

Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai is widely considered the second in command at the consumer electronics giant Sony, in charge of its key computer entertainment division, as well as now serving as executive deputy president of the whole company. As Sony struggles to reassert its dominance in tech, Hirai will be a key player in that effort.

Bradley Horowitz — as head of product management for Google+, the search giant’s aggressive effort to break Facebook’s hammerlock on social networking — has a perfect perspective to talk about the fast-growing area and where it is going globally. With locally-based social companies springing up all over Asia, can Google establish one the whole world will use?

At Microsoft, Andy Lees is leading one of the software giant’s most important initiatives, as president of its Windows Phone division. His come-from-behind-Google-and-Apple job includes mobile software and hardware, as well as its key partnership with Nokia, and Lees will need to win in markets globally, especially in Asia.

Peter Chernin is one of Hollywood’s top players and execs. But he’s also been increasingly active in media investing in Asia of late, and has a lot to say about the global nature of entertainment in the digital age.

John Roese heads the North American R&D team for Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant making everything from heavy-duty gear for networks to mobile phones and tablets. Roese will also talk about the phenomenon of a Chinese-owned company emerging on the world technology stage.

We also felt that it was important to hear from Silicon Valley start-ups, which have enjoyed unprecedented growth and funding in the Web 2.0 era. But as they seek to expand beyond the U.S., a critical move for them all, we’ve assembled a panel of entrepreneurs to discuss it, including: Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, the popular online vacation rental site; former Google exec Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, who is running the recently funded Joyus, a new premium video commerce site trying to pioneer a new way to shop online; and David Goldberg, who is now running one of tech’s most successful start-ups at SurveyMonkey, the dominant online survey company.

Yahoo co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang, who will appear with the Internet giant’s Asia head Rose Tsou, needs little introduction. For all of the noise around the company these days, Yahoo has a huge footprint in the region, maintains a big e-commerce business there and holds massive stakes in key firms, such as Yahoo Japan and China’s Alibaba.

And so does LivingSocial, whose CEO and co-founder Tim O’Shaughnessy, who will appear along with founders of two of its Asian units, Daniel Shin and Paul Srivorakul, which the daily deals site just bought as part of its aggressive move into Asia.

Because of Samsung’s increasing importance as a global player in smartphones and tablets, it was natural to invite Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, who heads global product strategy for the Korean giant’s mobile business. That has surged in the past year to make Samsung a leader in Android-based phones and tablets, and a significant challenger to Apple.

Also key in the mobile arena is Cher Wang, chairman of HTC, the important and innovative handset and tablet maker which has been a key player in Android’s success story. Add to that HTC buying an operating system, which would further strengthen its hand in the competitive market, and it’s clear it is in a pole position on the critical mobile market going forward.

Finally, we are also glad to bring back Al Gore, who had a memorable interview at the fourth D: All Things Digital conference in 2006. The former VP and Nobel Peace Prize winner is now chairman of Current TV and also continues as a prominent environmental activist. He is also on the board of Apple, while also being a senior adviser to Google, as well as a partner in the famed Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins.

In total, along with some very cool demos to show off, it’s going to be an exciting AsiaD, and we are thrilled most of all to welcome our first international audience. So get ready for a busy three days here and we hope you will like what we have to show you.

And then there was Schiller and Gore.

That would be Apple’s SVP of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller and former Vice President Al Gore, who round out the stellar list of speakers at our upcoming AsiaD conference.

Taking place from Oct. 19 to 21 in Hong Kong, the lineup is already impressive, with a mix of speakers from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as well as Silicon Valley and elsewhere.

The previously announced speakers include: Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma; Google Android head Andy Rubin; Twitter inventor and product guru, as well as Square co-founder and CEO, Jack Dorsey; Nvidia founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang; Asus Chairman Jonney Shih; Sony president and second-in-command Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai; Google+ guru Bradley Horowitz; Hollywood big shot Peter Chernin; Huawei’s North American R&D head John Roese; Microsoft’s Windows Phone head Andy Lees; and a panel of Silicon Valley start-up stars — Joyus’ Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, SurveyMonkey’s Dave Goldberg and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky; Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and Asia head Rose Tsou; LivingSocial’s Tim O’Shaughnessy, along with founders of two of its Asian units, Daniel Shin and Paul Srivorakul; Samsung mobile head Dr. Won-Pyo Hong; HTC CEO Peter Chou, who replaces Chairwoman Cher Wang.

Schiller, who reports to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook (and before that, Steve Jobs) is a member of the executive team of the tech icon, where he has worked for 17 years. He is responsible for a swath of Apple’s outward-facing businesses, including product marketing, developer relations and business marketing.

Today, in fact, he was onstage at Apple’s iPhone event, outlining some of its new product offerings. In addition, Apple just opened its first retail store in Hong Kong.

Gore, who had a memorable interview at the fourth D: All Things Digital conference in 2006, needs little introduction. The former VP and Nobel Peace Prize winner is now chairman of Current TV and also continues as a prominent environmental activist.

Gore is on the board of Apple, while also being a senior adviser to Google, which is a neat trick. At the same time, he is a partner in the famed Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins, and co-founder and chairman of Generation Investment Management, a partnership that is focused on sustainable investing.

And, as most people know, he knows a thing or two about the Internet.

Walt Mossberg and I could not think of two better people to add to the lineup we have for AsiaD, which has very few seats left.

See you in China in two weeks!

With AsiaD just a little over a month away, Walt Mossberg and I are adding even more speakers to the list, for what we hope will be an awesome event in Hong Kong.

Taking place from Oct. 19 to 21, the conference lineup is already impressive, with a mix of speakers from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as well as Silicon Valley and more.

The previously announced speakers include: Alibaba’s Jack Ma; Google Android head Andy Rubin; Twitter inventor and product guru, as well as Square co-founder and CEO, Jack Dorsey; Nvidia founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang; Asus Chairman Jonney Shih; Sony president and second-in-command Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai; Google+ guru Bradley Horowitz; Hollywood big shot Peter Chernin; Huawei’s North American R&D head John Roese; Microsoft’s Windows Phone head Andy Lees; and a panel of start-up stars — Joyus’ Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, SurveyMonkey’s Dave Goldberg and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky.

Now, to add to the kitty:

Yahoo co-founder and former CEO Jerry Yang, who will appear with the Internet giant’s Asia head Rose Tsou. For all of the noise around the company these days, Yahoo has a huge footprint in the region, maintains a big e-commerce business there and holds massive stakes in key firms, such as Yahoo Japan and China’s Alibaba. One of Yahoo’s first big investments came from Asian investor Masa Son, in fact, way back when.

Also on deck is LivingSocial’s CEO and co-founder Tim O’Shaughnessy, who will appear with Daniel Shin, the CEO and co-founder of South Korea’s Ticket Monster, which the daily deals site just bought as part of its aggressive move into Asia. Competing there with its U.S. rival Groupon, as well as a myriad of local social buying services, the market is a tough one.

Because of Samsung’s increasing importance as a global player in smartphones and tablets, we thought it was important to have Dr. Won-Pyo Hong. He heads global product strategy for Samsung’s mobile business, which has surged in the past year to make the Korean tech giant a leader in Android-based phones and tablets, and a significant challenger to Apple.

Also key in the mobile arena is Cher Wang, the chairwoman of three Taiwan companies, including HTC, the important and innovative handset and tablet maker which has been a key player in Android’s success story. But just this week she talked about the possibility of HTC buying an operating system, which would further strengthen its hand in the competitive market.

That’s it for now, but we will have more big names to come, as well as some pretty cool demos we will be putting onstage at AsiaD. So stay tuned.