AB PlasTech is an independent online publication about technology, innovation and the business decisions that sit around them. We write for people who like to know how a thing works before they decide whether it is worth their money, their time or their attention.
Where the name comes from
The site began with an interest in plastics and polymer engineering, and that starting point still shapes how we work. Materials engineering teaches a particular discipline: a part is only as good as the conditions it was tested under, every material involves a trade-off, and a claim on a datasheet means little until you know how it was measured. We try to bring that same patience to subjects far beyond moulded components, from home networks to property finance.
Two of our longer explainers keep the original thread alive. Innovative Plastics looks at how the field is changing, and Polymer-Plastic Technology and Engineering walks through the basics of the discipline itself.
What you will find here
- Technology and new tech: streaming over internet protocol, image formats, PC hardware and the gadgets people actually set up at home.
- Machine learning and automation: what retrieval systems and automated tools can reasonably do, and where caution is sensible.
- Business and marketing: starting a company, managing cash flow, search visibility and building a brand.
- Real estate and cars: buying property, comparing markets, and keeping a vehicle safe and roadworthy.
- Innovation and the outdoors: manufacturing advances, energy, logistics and the occasional garden project.
A curated route through the archive lives on What We Cover, and unfamiliar vocabulary is collected on Key Terms Explained.
Who reads it
Our articles are aimed at curious generalists: small-business owners weighing a purchase, households comparing services, students meeting a technical term for the first time, and anyone who prefers a plain explanation to a sales pitch. No specialist background is assumed, though we do not avoid detail when the detail matters.
What AB PlasTech is not
We are not a shop, a manufacturer or a consultancy. Nothing on these pages is for sale, and we do not quote prices on anyone's behalf. We are also not a substitute for professional advice: a mortgage, an insurance claim or a legal question deserves someone who can look at your specific situation. Our role is to help you ask that person better questions.
If something here looks wrong or outdated, the process for raising it is described on Keeping Things Accurate, and the quickest way to reach us is the contact page. Our broader outlook is set out on What Drives Us.
- 122
- articles published
- 11
- topics covered
- 2019
- writing since
Our ground rules
Four habits borrowed from the workshop
The way we write owes a lot to how materials get tested before anyone relies on them.
Test the claim before repeating it.
Name the trade-off, not just the benefit.
Explain the jargon or leave it out.
Correct mistakes where readers can see them.
Two ways to cover tech
Spec-sheet hype versus engineering reading
The same product announcement can be written up in very different ways. Here is the approach we try to avoid and the one we aim for.
The hype approach
- Repeats headline features as delivered facts
- Leaves out cost, maintenance and limits
- Treats the newest release as the default answer
The AB PlasTech approach
- Asks how each feature works and how it was measured
- Sets running costs and drawbacks beside the benefits
- Matches the option to the reader's actual need
Neither column describes any particular publication; it is a contrast we keep in mind while editing.