These are great questions - I think I probably have trouble locating more junior dev opportunities.
I always do research on the history of a company but because of turnover it doesn't score me any piñatas to know where they started if the interviewer can't engage with the stuff I'm mentioning. :(
I have lost track of over the years how many time I have got the answer “nothing” to the question what do you know about the company.
I personally find it amazing that people don’t make the most basic investigations into the place they are wanting to spend most of their waking hours. It is like waking into a car dealership and saying to the first salesman you meet “I have $30,000 - just sell me any car as I don’t care.”