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How to Separate Tech News Today from Tech Drivel

How to Separate Tech News Today from Tech Drivel

Tom Gerencer
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Reading time: 8 minutes
Tech news today is everywhere. Technology is on an exponential moonshot curve straight up. New advances in health care, space travel, computers, convenience, and gadgets pop up like high-speed dandelions. How can we make sure to read the right stories and dodge the hype?
The biggest problem with today’s top trending technology news? You can’t trust all of it. Titles like “scientists create mutant zombie dogs” and “new technique may cure Alzheimer's disease” should cause vigorous head-scratching. It’s tough to sift the wheat from the chaff, but there’s an excellent way to stay on top of it.

How do you get tech news?

Online news is a game of eyeballs, where web publishers battle for advertising dollars. “Sensational” can beat “true,” and that’s a big incentive to bend the truth. Luckily, the best outlets know they’ll win on high-quality content that serves up real value. So, for the best tech news without the bunk, stick to top trusted sources in the digital world.
We’ve stitched up a list of the juiciest, most popular, and most reliable trending technology news sites on the web. See them ranked below, with readership and social media data to boot. We’ve gathered in the top news apps too, so you can pull them all together for news on tech for your home, business, gadgets, health care, space, and more.

Tech news apps

Maybe the best way to get today’s top tech news isn’t to pick one of the admittedly stellar sites below. Maybe it’s to pick all of them. Or at least your favorite ten. You can do that with one of these five technology news apps. With Feedly, for example, you can add the tech news sites you like from the list below. You can use Apple News or Flipboard to get the same effect as well. The app will pull in stories from your picks and let you scroll through an infinity of geek bliss.
Just download one of the apps, then stuff it like a silicon-chipped Thanksgiving Turkey with several of the top technology news sites below.

Top tech news sites

Here they are - the 15 top tech news sites in the galaxy. These are the crowd favorites for consumer tech, business tech, and plain ol’ sense of wonder.

1. HP Tech Takes

Okay, we’re biased. But how could we not be? With engaging news covering everything from self-driving cars to bitcoin to quantum computing, plus laptops and devices, the HP Tech Takes blog is chock full of juicy topics every day. Bonus: the stories are written with passion by switched-on journalists who live and breathe sci/tech. We’ll even make it easy. Just click here to subscribe to HP Tech Takes. You can get great articles like this one sent right to your inbox.

2. BBC

Trust “the Beeb” to uphold the highest standards of journalism excellence. Their tech section is packed with the latest and greatest on everything; like smartphones, apps, AI, smart home devices, business, and government tech contracts. Far from being just Great Britain’s news source, the BBC pulls from the US and the world with a refreshingly unbiased viewpoint.

3. TechCrunch

TechCrunch gets 23.7 million tech news readers every month for a solid reason [1]. They publish some 40 articles a day on science and tech topics of interest to the savvy reader. Their in-depth pieces cover interesting angles on business technology, with slants on how developments in the corporate world will affect us tomorrow. How long until the first Scottish spaceport opens? What’s cooking at the biggest tech conferences? How are scaled robotics changing construction sites? TechCrunch tells it all.

4. Wired

Wired magazine is the New York Times of the technology world. Their thoughtful writers dig into how technology touches you and me at a gut level. Why do Americans trust scientists but not science? Who will pay for climate change? Will robocars bring you lunch before they drive you to work? Read dozens of great tech articles daily and pick up cool podcasts like Wired Culture and the science fiction hit, Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy [2].

5. The Verge

The Verge covers “the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture [3].” It’s a hip look at the latest tech news topics we care about, with a “why-it-matters” take on iPads, space startups, note-taking apps, new laptops, and a gamut of similar curiosities. You can filter out their science and entertainment pieces by clicking on their “tech” tab. This is a real tour-de-force of a tech site that’s worth delving into for daily entertainment and instruction.

6. Business Insider tech news

Business Insider has long been a popular news venue, but did you know they’ve got a “Tech Insider” imprint? The stories center on really cool topics including what it’s like to own a Tesla Model 3, why the iPhone may be floundering at last, and why the world’s top tech billionaires actually drive Hondas and Toyotas. The pieces read like sharing a drink and a chat with an old friend. This is a don’t-miss tech info experience.

7. The Next Web

If you’re young, tech-savvy, and switched-on, you don’t need a lot of hand-holding and down-talking. You want news that assumes you know what TB means and that blockchain isn’t a new type of ankle bracelet. The Next Web is for Gen Z’ers in the know who like a little slang and a quick, engaging read. Find stories about how tomorrow’s streetlights could broadcast WiFi, the best gaming phones, and why you can’t copyright a meme.

8. CNET

CNET is a no-nonsense tech news website with deep dives into the best products, plus news, how-to's, and articles on smart homes, cars, and deals. Get the business slant on tech and learn what’s new and cool with smart faucets, stealth shark suits, Android Auto, and why WiFi 6 can download 22 Marvel movies in a few hours. The articles are well-written, deeply researched, and fun to read.

9. Digital Trends

Which 5G phone should you buy? What’s the US military doing with solar-powered balloons? Why is HP’s new curved all-in-one the classiest desktop ever? Digital Trends serves up new tech news you can use at street level. The writers toss expert insights with an across-the-coffee-table feel and plenty of charts and embedded tweets. This is fun reading that’ll keep you on the cutting edge.

10. TechRadar

A bit heavy on the commercial side and light on the philosophy, TechRadar is all about the products. Reviews and how-to’s make up the bulk of their fare with deep dives into the latest phones, eSports mice, wearables, and in-game hacks. The articles are workmanlike and get the job done.

11. Ars Technica

If you’re an educated technophile, but you like your entertainment too, then Ars Technica is your huckleberry. It bills itself as a site for IT-types, but it also rolls out stories about Ebola, Veronica Mars, and Edward Snowden. There’s some consumer-level fare here too, but a fair bit about new tech regulations, cell signal boosters, and Android upgrades.

12. Engadget

Madonna wasn’t kidding; we’re living in a material world. Indulge your hedonistic side with Engadget, a site that fills you in on all the juicy tech your heart didn’t know it desires. Learn about all the things you could own and why you’d want them, from electric scooters to the latest Roombas, electric SUVs, and cooking gadgets. Plus get news on all the ins and outs of tech, from federal rulings to corporate shockers and more.

13. VentureBeat

If you like your tech news brainy and visionary, look no further than VentureBeat. It’s a different kind of news site that focuses on the aha moments. Did you know AI will render touch screen keyboards invisible someday? Or that mixed reality will help you find your way in maze-like hospitals? You’ll also get the inside scoop on what the top tech firms are up to behind closed doors.

14. Reuters business tech news

Reuters has long been a respected worldwide news agency, employing 2,500 journalists and supplying 2.5 million news stories per year. Their technology section serves up dozens of cutting-edge tech stories every day, centering on business tech news from companies like Verizon, Amazon, Facebook, and Google.

15. Gizmodo

“We come from the future” is this tech news blog’s motto. They’ll fill you in on some of the more intriguing tech curiosities, like how to find out if your boss put spyware on your work computer and when touch ID will return to iPhones (and why). You’ll also find a decent amount of tech-related news, such as extreme ocean heatwaves and why Thanos never fought Hulk in Avengers: Endgame.

The best tech news

The best way to get the top tech news on the planet? Download a news app from up top and stock it with 10 or 15 of the top tech sites above. Then, settle down to a daily (or hourly!) smorgasbord of stories about gadgets, rockets, electric cars, and what the biggest tech gurus and companies are scheming. You’ll dodge the hype and dig into the real dope. The end result? You’ll stay cutting edge and in-the-know on all things digital and science-related.
[1] SimilarWeb; TechCrunch.com
[2] Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy; Geek’s Guide

About the Author

Tom Gerencer is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Tom is an ASJA journalist, career expert at Zety.com, and a regular contributor to Boys' Life and Scouting magazines. His work is featured in Costco Connection, FastCompany, and many more.

Disclosure: Our site may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.