Need some tech tips...

What are your sliders set to for research? I usually have mine set to 60% for most of the game. I usually have no problem keeping up with or ahead of the AI.

I play TINY/RARE/MASO

when i first start my tech rush, my first big goal is tetracomputers (or what ever it is). it opens about 5 or 6 +10 research techs, which make a huge difference. they take a lot to get, but once you get them, you can research faster that the other civs, and if you're in a bind, you can trade them for quite a bit. i prefer to hold onto them as long as possible, the longer it takes for the others to get the techs, the bigger a head start you have on them.

Do "newly hatched" minor races get all your techs?

Is there any way to keep them from being intimidated into giving "your" techs away?

Minor races that are born in game get all techs researched by all powers I believe.

And you don't have do give into demands.

The new minors that get all your techs worry me as well.

I have yet to see any evidence that they give the techs away from intimidation.

I generally attempt to conquer them straight away, just to be sure.

Problem, VoT: I don't control the minors, and thus have no control over whether they give in to demands.

Best I could do is conquer them as soon as they pop up, but if they're out of range they'll have given away the farm by the time I can get to 'em.

Well, I try not to trade minors anything that the majors don't already have. That way they won't get those techs.

I buy transports off the nearest AI and go conquer them that way. Check the AI's planets for Transports or look around the map to see who has one closest to the new minors planet and buy that one.