For control, I think I read on their forums that some technology will increase your tactical options.
Yup, technologies do improve the interface. Imo it's silly; the interface should remain consistent. This way it's benefiting the "advanced" players more than newcomers. SotS has a strong multiplayer focus, and the designers feel that it's important to give experienced players ways to distinguish themselves with personal skill. I agree with this principle in general, it's just that they used it in a wrong place here.

As for researching, the trick is to double click on a tech to zoom in and see the details, then double click again to zoom out.
Would be better to include the details in a zoomed-out view as well, in the form of a tooltip. Or in the bar at the bottom of the screen. That would make browsing faster, an important thing in timed-turns MP games. (Again, one could argue here that veterans already remember the various technologies and don't need to zoom in to check out details.)

Gauss cannons are short range but powerful, lasers long range and faster firing but weaker.
Nope. Gauss have longer range and higher damage, but are more inaccurate than lasers.