Constantly having tech by your side doesn’t mean you’re becoming a couch potato. In fact, as the number of downloadable smartphone apps nears the 6 million mark, our devices have become our motivators and helpers along the way to fitness and fun.

Now, a new crop of gardening apps is making it easier for users to grow and harvest healthy vegetables in their own backyards.

Filing your income taxes is never fun, but electronic filing makes the ordeal much more convenient than the old paper-and-pen method. And taxpayers are taking advantage—more than ninety percent used electronic filing last year.

A growing number of e-filing tax prep providers are stepping up their game by creating apps for filing on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Instead of powering up the laptop, these apps can now help you get it done from the one device that never leaves your side.

Fitness trackers from FitBit, Garmin, Amazon and other brands can help you establish and stick to a fitness routine that will keep you healthy and active year-round. But they’re far from the only game in town.

Smart watches have emerged as a valuable tool not only for managing our schedules, but also our fitness and health goals. The latest models are loaded with tiny sensors that can measure heart rate, sleep patterns and more, with the ability to sync data about your activity regimen with your health apps.

A firm focus on the future is endemic to the culture of every successful technology company. At C Spire, we don’t spend much time reflecting on the past. Ask any of my 1,900 coworkers, and they’ll likely tell you some version of the same thing.

C Spire network engineers have been busy lately adding 5G and other network enhancements around the state, with plenty more on the docket to install soon.

In the latest round of 5G enhancements, our team has deployed the technology at 10 sites in and around Oxford, as well as at several urban and rural locations throughout the Gulf Coast region—including Gulfport, Moss Point, Lucedale, Kiln, Saucier, Gautier, Pass Christian and Beaumont.

Some of the farthest reaches of the rural American South are now becoming less remote—but don’t worry, these changes won’t spoil the view or jack up the rent. They’re all virtual, and the credit goes to a growing fiber broadband internet network connecting people and businesses.