It seems like every couple of weeks I get a postcard in the mail from a local Internet provider promising a more reliable high-speed connection. I'll often pause for a moment and consider making a switch, thinking of those occasional frustrations that pop up with my current provider.

I like a handy mobile app as much as the next consumer, whether it's to check the weather forecast ahead of a weekend getaway or simply to track another disappointing Milwaukee Brewers' loss.

Talking with both farmers and dealers in different parts of the country, most say it's been a smooth planting season, aside from a few hiccups. Looking at the May 11 crop progress report from the USDA, both corn and soybean planting were well ahead of 2014.

Today’s farm equipment includes computers and technology systems ranging from engine controls, to guidance systems, to media and entertainment systems. Making each system work is computer software.

Heading into 2015, many dealers knew it would be difficult to replicate the success they've enjoyed in recent years selling precision farming technology. Lower commodity prices are prompting farmers to be more judicious with where they plan to spend their money in the coming year.