Correct! PR representatives can have good information for you, but it’s important to be aware. One way to defend yourself against the PR spin is to go to the PR rep from a rival company or a promoter of a competing technology. The PR rival often has plenty of reasons why their rival will fail.

Correct! Many times, the winning technology standard is demonstrably weaker than competing standards.

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Correct! For Personal Technologies stories, think smartphones, tablets, computers, speakers, and anything wearable, like a smartwatch. A common approach to covering personal technology is to report on how well new gadgets work while emphasizing what’s new or improved.

Correct! Because of the tendency for new technologies to destroy the value of their existing products and business lines, tech companies need to constantly innovate.

Correct! You may never understand them, and that’s okay. Electronics is based on complicated physics and mathematics. One workable compromise is to identify people who do understand these technologies, poll the views of at least three of them, tally their common conclusions and then identify inconsistencies.

Correct! Marketing companies produce tons of technology reports – but many are commissioned by the very companies whose products they promote, so these reports should be used with caution.

Correct! Many technological challenges of today, especially in business, can be at least partly illuminated by quickly looking at past experiences.

Correct! Don’t be afraid to get into the nitty-gritty because you think it’s too complicated for readers to understand. It is your job to help them understand.