We at Will’s IT News wish you a happy Thanksgiving. I for one, am thankful for many things this year, such as my new job, the success of this website, marrying my best friend, and our baby boy who is on the way. Although I already have a great list of items to be thankful for today, I want to take a moment to discuss an essential part of our lives that we all take for granted, technology.

As of late, technology has revolutionized pretty much every aspect of how we do things. Smartphones have evolved to the point where they have the operating power to perform technological wonders and when coupled with the always advancing wireless internet speeds, we now practically have the capabilities of desktop computers in our pockets. As I firmly believe that an individual is as intelligent as the tools he or she utilizes, this change in tech is something to respect.

I am also thankful for the growing VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) industry. As computing power and internet speeds are now becoming more advanced and less expensive, VR and AR are now applying to several facets of business and entertainment. Whether you are slaying virtual dragons at home or performing a medical surgery remotely, VR and AR are changing the way we operate UI’s (User Interfaces) and creating an immersive digital experience.

Another technology I am thankful for is AI (Artificial Intelligence). AI is currently reshaping and building new advances in applications, from business analytics to devising new methods to prevent disease. The practical uses of AI are abundant. Truckers can use AI to plot optimized maps by using data on traffic analytics and weather patterns, lowering driving time as well as reducing pollution emitted. Additionally, the banking industry is learning how to utilize AI by helping investors crunch massive amounts of data and fight against fraud by learning a customer’s behaviors. For example, AI can analyze and record the typing speed and mouse movements of a banking customer and compare that data to each new login session in the hopes of detecting hackers.

While social media has its negative impacts on society, I am truly thankful for the many functions of social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Never before have we, the population, been so connected. Social movements like #MeToo, tracking and reporting tragic events such as school shootings in the hopes of preventing further attacks, and spreading the dangers of global warming, are all needed to help heal our damaged world. Only together can we see the changes we need to make, and only together can we then make those necessary changes.

All of these items I have discussed are all governed by one thing, internet speed. However, we are now transitioning to 5G, or Fifth-Generation Cellular Wireless, which is the next major wireless internet upgrade. Offering greater speed, reach, and responsiveness, 5G is nothing short of a technological revolution. Data transfer speeds are projected to be 10X higher than 4G. What does this mean for the not so tech-savvy individual? Take downloading a high-def movie for example. With 4G, it might take around 10 minutes, however, with 5G, that large file would take less than a second (crazy, I know).

For Thanksgiving this year, be thankful for your family, friends, and the food on your plate. Also, look back on how far we have come in the world of technology, the growing social awareness of issues we face, and the rising capability to fix them. But above all, be thankful for merely having the ability to be thankful, for life is something that should be treasured. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Oh, one more thing, when you are Black Friday shopping, remember to turn your phone sideways when filming a fight over discounted toys; we, the viewers, thank you.