Google has a record of contributing positively to important Government efforts, and this year’s holiday partnership with NORAD is no exception. NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has been hard at work tracking Santa Claus for over fifty years now. They began in 1955 while they were still known as CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command), and technology has progressed immensely since then, allowing better tracking than ever.
As reported by Google at the beginning of the month, the NORAD tracker is already up and ready to go. As they have since 2007, Google will be combining their technologies with that of our airspace security forces, providing an accurate detailing of Santa’s location through Google Earth. To find Santa on Google Earth, you will simply need to download an updated version of the program and install the plugin located at the NORAD Tracking Site.
The NORAD Santa Tracking Site provides a lot of other great information as well, including its traditional countdown to Santa’s launch and information on how the NORAD tracking tradition began (which was prompted, oddly enough, by a misprinted Sears Ad).
This year, the site is also home to a number of games for children, more of which are being added each day as we approach Christmas Eve. These flash-based activities are put together on the site’s “Santa’s Village,” and games range from card games to crosswords to puzzles and more.
Another new feature this time around is mobile tracking of Santa. Any phone that can access the Google Maps for Mobile application will be able to find Santa’s most recent location by typing “Santa” into the Google Maps search.
If you’d prefer, you can even make a call directly to the NORAD support center at 877-446-6723 any time after 2:30am MT on December 24th, and a representative will gladly give you Santa’s current location.
