Earlier in the year I clipped out a few expert predictions on technology stocks for 2009.

From time to time, I’ll check in and see how those stocks are doing. It’s only six weeks into the new year, and perhaps it’s not fair to check in so early. Still, conditions on the ground haven’t changed that much since January 1, so some of these bets should be standing up by now.

Let’s have a look. First up, The Technology Stock Advisor, an online investment newsletter, issued its top technology stock picks for January 1, 2009.

Explains Tom Vass, the advisor to the newsletter said, “We follow a patented method for selecting technology stocks that emphasizes technology innovation and strong financial fundamentals.” The patented method for selecting stocks is based on a theory of innovation developed by Vass that investigates relationships among companies in nine high technology value chains.

“We believe that the new world competitive dynamic is continuous innovation in new products,” said Vass. “We seek companies that are members of global technology value chains. The companies must have large internal cash flow from continuing operations in order to finance continuous cycles of innovation.”

Unlike most value investment strategies, the Technology Stock Advisor method examines the internal financial fundamentals of the company, the industrial supply chain of the company and the larger macro economic conditions that affect the market demand for new technology products.

Here are TSA's top picks . . .

Ingersoll-Rand Co. Industrial Machinery and Distribution Equipment Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services a range of industrial and commercial products in the United States and internationally -- Buy Below $19

Update: Ingersoll-Rand is trading at around $17 right now, but had to fight its way up from a low of $12 in November, 2008, but down from a high of $20 around the first of the year. TSA likes the long-term potential but the stick is sliding right now.

Intel Computer and Electronics Intel Corporation engages in making, marketing, and selling integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide -- Buy Below $19

Update: Well, you can certainly buy below $19 – Intel is trading below $14 right now and hasn’t cracked the $15 mark since the last December. But with a good stockpile of cash, and new commitment to new research, this one should actually pan out, although it hasn’t yet.

CTS Computer and Electronics CTS Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, assembly, and sale of electronic components and sensors, and provision of electronics manufacturing services worldwide: Buy Below $9

CTS has drifted steadily downward since the start of the year, starting at $6 per year and now it’s down to $4 per share in mid-February. With a heavy dependence on business companies, especially in the auto sector, the outlook for CTS is grim. Don’t expect this one to peak above $9 for a long while.

From time to time, I’ll measure the efforts of other tech stock pickers. But for today, The Technology Stock Advisor looks like it's fighting an uphill battle.