Santa Trackers

CEBU, Philippines – Want to know where Santa is now? The two mobile suites we're featuring today come with real time answers to that question, along with a nifty set of in-app features, interactive highlights and mini-games - making the apps nice to have in your smart device. NORAD Tracks Santa Available in Android, iOS, Windows Phone and web-app versions

Since 1955, the bi-national organization known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been keeping track of Santa's trip around the globe, as he leaves the North Pole and delivers gifts to children all over the world.

Dubbed as the "NORAD Tracks Santa Program," the program originally started from a misprint in a newspaper advertisement - one where a department store ad encouraged children to call Santa, giving them a number to call.

The misprinted number on the ad routed callers to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD, later replaced by NORAD) in Colorado Springs. On December 24, 1955, Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, gave instructions to his staff to give a "current location" to children who called - paving the way for the NORAD Tracks Santa program.

Since then, the program has embraced advances in technology, tri-media and digital media - the "NORAD Tracks Santa" app for Android, iOS and Windows phone being among its most current versions.

Easy to use and reasonably lightweight for an application of its class, the "NORAD Tracks Santa" app is a Christmas countdown app, Santa Tracker, educational suite and casual game app rolled into one.

Working with Microsoft's Bing Maps, the suite provides users with real-time readouts of Santa's location, apart from providing users with a curated selection of Christmas-related information and Christmas-themed games.

Google Santa Tracker Available in Android and Google Chrome Extension versions

Google's "Google Santa Tracker" is essentially no different from the "NORAD Tracks Santa" app - in the sense that it is also a Christmas countdown app, a Santa Tracker and casual game app all rolled into one.

Between 2007 to 2012, Google partnered with NORAD in developing the "NORAD Tracks Santa" web-based application, keeping track of Santa's route and stops around the world on Christmas Eve through its Google Earth and Google Maps services.

In 2013, Google rolled out its own Santa Tracker - bundling it with a wide assortment of mini-games and interactive highlights.

This year's version of the app mirrors the same features and highlights of the 2013 edition, gilded with immersive graphics and engaging Christmas-themed games - staying true to the spirit which originally bought the Santa Tracking program concept to form.