In just a few days, Santa Claus will fly his troop of magical reindeer around the world, delivering gifts to millions of children. The global journey of the centuries-old Father Christmas, once untraceable, is now broadcast in real time.
This week, Google announced the launch of its very own Santa Tracker after ending its five-year Christmas collaboration with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mapping the jolly bearded man's travels.
The NORAD Santa Tracker, scheduled to launch on Christmas Eve, has partnered with Microsoft Bing this year. Users can pinpoint Santa on 2D Bing Maps or view 3D routes on Cesium.
Google will start mapping Santa's stops at 2 p.m. PST on Christmas Eve. On the Google Santa Dashboard, viewers can spot the virtual character's exact location, the next stop, seconds left until departure, and how many presents have been dropped off, using Google Maps and Google Earth. The Santa Tracker is powered by a custom algorithm that charts his travels from city to city, the team writes.
"Santa’s dashboard â€" featuring the latest and greatest in Google Maps technology and sleigh engineering - will allow you to follow his progress around the world, and also learn a little about some of his stops along the way," the team writes.
NORAD has been tracking Santa's flight since 1955. This year, nearly 1,250 Canadian and American volunteers will answer phone calls and emails about Santa's whereabouts. The NORAD experience is also mobile â€" available on Windows Phone, Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Before the organizations shift gears to track Santa, there are plenty of mobile games on both websites for children to get acquainted with Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves and the reindeer. Google's well-designed and festive HTML5 website offers holiday-themed games, personal calls from Santa and a chance to explore Santa's village. There are plenty of worthy hidden features to dig up.
Which tool will you likely use to track Santa â€" NORAD's Santa Tracker with Bing Maps or Google's Santa Tracker? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy of Flickr, somegeekintn; Screenshot courtesy of Google.
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