With Thanksgiving around the corner people across the country are getting ready to celebrate with family and friends to reminisce on what they are thankful for. Usually we are thankful for loved ones, a new job, and great health. However, have you ever considered how technology has played into your success? Was it the app on your phone that brought you and your partner together; LinkedIn that connected you with your new employer; or the supercomputers that have made great strides in healthcare to keep your body in tip-top shape? That’s why we want to take the time to talk about the technologies we are thankful for this year!

Here are the top 5 tech tools we are thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. GPS

Remember a time when using paper maps were the only way to navigate a new city? Then we’re sure you remember how dangerous it was to use while driving and how clumsy they were when trying to carry them with you. Unless you had someone else with you, maps were virtually useless while driving in your car. That’s why we’re thankful for the GPS, a global positioning system that is satellite networked based and was placed into orbit and made available to everyone in the 1980’s. Whether you use a GPS as a standalone device or on your mobile phone, you feel secure knowing you will accurately and safely arrive at your destination. Plus, we are extra thankful to the GPS for allowing apps such as Uber and Seamless to exist.

2. Smartphones

Ah, the mobile phone. It gives us both joy and disruption every day. It is dangerous to text and drive and annoying to listen to someone talking loudly next to you. Letter writing and landlines never had those issues. However, we want to take a moment to appreciate all that the smartphone has given us. This handy and mobile device makes difficult and frustrating times easier. Did you just get off the train to meet your family but didn't know where they are? Now you call or text them! Unsure of where the nearest supermarket is? Oh yes, now you have mobile GPS. We’ll always feel more comfortable knowing we have the ability to communicate and navigate at our fingertips. Well, except when the battery dies...

3. Digital Photography

Never miss a special moment again just because you left your disposable camera at home or ran out of film. Digital photography allows you to capture, save and share your favorite moments with your favorite people. Whether it is your toddler's first steps or your first visit to another country, photography will always be important in society. Moreso, digital photography has given us the tools to simplify many other areas of our lives. You can now video call with your parents halfway across the world or virtually deposit that birthday check into your account without stepping foot into a bank. Additionally, we have all benefited from the immediacy of news events captured live on the scene, in real time!

4. Application Development

If you aren’t thankful for this already, you will be once you understand what application development has done for society. From calendar management to weather, apps have given us the opportunity to be more informed every day. We’re sure most of you utilize the calendar app to keep track of your schedule, a notes app to remember your shopping list, or the weather app to plan your outfit for the evening ahead. However, did you know that doctors are now accepting video calls to chat with their patients saving them a trip to the waiting room? We know you haven't forgotten about social media. Apps like Twitter and Instagram not only keep you connected to your friends but also to real-time news coverage. Find a developer this Thanksgiving and thank them for their contribution!

5. Supercomputers

Supercomputers, computers that perform at, or nearly at, the highest current operational rate for computers, are often used for research intensive, scientific tasks which are why few people have knowledge of how this technology affects their lives. However, high-performance computing technology is a tool that continuously helps to advance those things we we value most in society, such as protection from identity theft and cures for diseases. Supercomputers can process volumes of cancer-related data in a short amount of time allowing researchers to have a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to cancer. Even though most of use don’t use this tech tool directly, we are thankful for the advances that keep us safe and informed.

There you have it, the top 5 technologies we are thankful for this year. But these are only a tiny fraction of the technologies that we need to be thankful for. There are tons of new technological advances that are being discovered every year, some that may never even affect you. But we should be thankful for technologies like prosthetic limbs that give war veterans a new chance at a normal life or cutting-edge electronic glasses that can help someone see for the first time. What technologies are you thankful for? Let us know in the comments below.

Then, be sure to check back and see what technologies you should look out for in 2017!