It�s that time of year again! The stockings are hung by the chimney with care and Google and NORAD are ready to answer the question of �where?�
NORAD�s tradition of tracking Santa on Christmas Eve started in 1955, when a Sears and Roebuck ad promoting the Talk-to-Santa hotline inadvertently sent callers to CONAD (NORAD�s predecessor) commander-in-chief�s operations hotline. After recovering from the surprise that the call was not from the Pentagon or the White House but instead a little boy inquiring if the commander was Santa Claus, Colonel Harry Shoup asked his team to check their radar for signs of Santa�s sleigh and a tradition was born.
The Santa tracking tradition has grown over the years and today it�s also possible to track Santa using Google Earth and Google Maps on the NORAD Santa site, and on your mobile phone as well. Starting tomorrow (Saturday, December 24) at 2:00 a.m. EST, visit www.noradsanta.org to follow Santa�s journey from the North Pole to homes all over the globe. This year there are many ways to keep tabs on Santa�s sleigh, no matter how quickly it moves:
- Follow Santa on Google Maps: Visit www.noradsanta.org to see where Santa is currently flying and where he�s headed next on Google Maps. Click on the video icons to watch �Santa cam� videos from all over the world, and the gift icons will display information about each city along the route.
- Watch Santa fly in 3D with the Google Earth plug-in: If you have the Google Earth plug-in installed on your computer, you can track Santa�s location in 3D and see him deliver presents everywhere from the mountain villages of the Swiss Alps to the white sand beaches of Hawaii.
- Track Santa from your mobile phone: Follow Santa on the go by searching for [santa] on the Google Maps for mobile app.
- Get updates via social media: The NORAD team will be posting updates about Santa�s flight throughout the day on December 24. Follow them on Google+, Twitter or Facebook for live updates.
- Subscribe to the NORAD Tracks Santa YouTube channel: All �Santa cam� videos will be posted on the NORAD Tracks Santa YouTube channel as they�re captured. You can also watch a recap of Santa�s 2010 trip. Check back often for updates!
NORAD Tracks Santa is a special project near and dear to all of us involved. I started working on the program seven years ago and it�s been a thrill to watch it grow over the years. Recently, I was given the opportunity to speak at TEDActive about the origins of NORAD Tracks Santa and how Google has brought this to life in Google Earth.
I�d like to thank all of Santa�s �elves� that helped out across Google and NORAD far and wide. Happy Holidays!
