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After Math: Merry Christmas, you filthy animals
It's been a wondrous week working up to Christmas Eve and not just for the guys with the Tommy Guns. Alamo Drafthouse announced it is starting a rental store and loaning out rare VHS, Protera is going to wake up tomorrow with an order for 25 of its electric buses under the tree, and Google is practically giving away its digital movie rentals. Numbers, because how else will you know how many gold rings you've got coming?
Google's Santa hub has you taking 'elfies' around the world
Google has brought back Santa's Village for another year, and this time it's particularly trendy. Fire up the Santa Tracker app on your Android phone and you can play Santa Snap, a game that has you flying around Google Maps to take "elfies" at famous landmarks around the world. Basically, it's Amélie with Santa's helpers in place of gnomes. Other activities will pop up daily between now and December 24th, including a equally of-the-moment AI drawing game (a festive take on Quick, Draw), an elf dance coding game and a virtual snowball fight.
Kid opens PS4 on Christmas day, finds block of wood instead
It's always a little awkward when a well-intended Christmas gift is a bit off target. But it's down right cruel what happened to little Scott Lundy from Wakefield, MA. After (we imagine) weeks, maybe months, of anticipation and avoiding the naughty list, Lundy was rewarded with a PlayStation 4 under the Christmas tree. Or so he thought. Instead of unboxing a sick next-gen console (his parents opted for the Teen-rated Uncharted bundle), Lundy found a PS4-shaped bit of wood. What's worse, instead of a quick start guide to read, the malcontent penned a surly seasonal greeting.
Jolly Tracker forces holiday cheer with a shock to the face
The holiday season is supposed to be a happy time. But lets be honest, between the stress of picking out gifts, racking up credit card debt you can't afford and being forced to spend time with your creepy uncle there isn't a lot to smile about. Enter the JöLLY Tracker. It's a wearable of a different kind -- one that monitors just how much you smile. And, if you're not keeping that frown turned upside down, it gives you a gentle "reminder" to smile in the form of an electric shock... to the face.
Santa's village comes to life as Google's holiday tracker goes online
Now that Thanksgiving is complete and the holidays are officially upon us, Google has unveiled a new and expanded Santa's Village for 2016. The dedicated website is part of the company's annual Santa Tracker app promotion. This year, visitors will have plenty to do including learn about various charitable organizations while coloring in digital ornaments, play games, discover holiday traditions from around the world -- even learn a bit of basic coding. More features will unlock daily as we get closer to Christmas.
Google open-sources its Santa Tracker a few months late
Google might want to improve its timing a bit. You see, the search giant has released the source code for its Santa Tracker apps... in April. In other words, right when the snow has finished melting in many corners of the world. That's a little too late (or alternately, too soon) to help create holiday apps, Google. As you might gather, though, the festive theme is beside the point. The open source content is really meant to show how the folks in Mountain View make a lively website that works on everything from phones to desktops, not to mention a host of Android games and smartwatch faces. Hopefully, you'll see at least a few apps and sites in the near future that have an extra amount of polish, whether or not Kris Kringle is involved.
NORAD and Microsoft make it easy for mobile users to track Santa
NORAD's Santa tracker for 2014 is now up and running, ready to help you count down the days till your kids are wont to start screaming for gifts. The agency has partnered up with Microsoft again this year, so expect to see a lot of Bing maps integration. In addition to the website itself, the duo has also released iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps, so you can monitor Santa's movements on the go. WP users can even ask their platform's voice assistant Cortana questions such as "Where is Santa now?". As usual, on Christmas Eve itself, you'll be able to follow Santa's journey through an interactive 3D globe (with a Bing maps overlay, naturally).
Monitor Santa's pre-flight prep with a little help from Google
If you're looking to keep an eye on ol' St. Nick ahead of his annual journey, Google can lend a hand. This year's version of Mountain View's Santa Tracker is live and ready to help keep tabs on all the prep work. Up until the red-clad fellow departs later this month, games and scenes will be added to his village regularly -- including location-specific bits so you can read up on traditions in other places. Of course, on December 24th, you'll be able to follow Mr. Kringle's globetrotting in real time. If you happen to be away from a computer, monitor the latest happenings via Android app, mobile site or on your Chromecast-equipped TV.
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Help your kids keep track of Santa while you travel with the NORAD Santa Tracker app
We're just a few weeks away from Christmas. If your family celebrates the holiday, hopefully you still get to experience the joy of a having a child excitedly wait for Santa. But what if you're away from home on Christmas Eve? There are few childhood fears as harsh as the idea that Santa might skip you on Christmas because he can't find you. Put your child's fears to rest with NORAD's official Santa Tracker app for iOS. The app's most important features are a countdown to Santa's flight and the ability to follow Santa's progress on December 24. But if the car rides get too long, it also has two games, Elf Toss and Thin Ice, where kids can help Santa's elves deliver presents, along with trivia about NORAD and its mission. You can download the free app right now over in the iTunes store.
Google improves its Santa tracking with a Chromecast-ready Android app (video)
Microsoft may have NORAD's blessing for its Santa Claus monitoring, but Google has a few tricks of its own this year. The search giant's latest Santa Tracker centers on an updated Android app (launching mid-December) with Chromecast TV streaming support -- you'll soon get to follow St. Nick from the comfort of your living room. If you'd prefer to keep tabs on him from the web, the company is promising both daily game and scene updates as well as a refreshed Chrome extension. Head to the source links if you'd like to explore Google's take on the Christmas spirit.
NORAD and Microsoft team on a touch-friendly Santa Claus web tracker
NORAD's Santa Claus tracking has officially entered the tablet era. The defense agency has teamed up with Microsoft on an updated web-based tracker that's designed for touch-friendly browsers, including Internet Explorer 11. The new site lets you follow St. Nick by spinning a WebGL-powered globe with your finger, and you can even call NORAD through Skype to get the sleigh's latest position. You won't have to wait until Christmas Eve to have fun, either, as Microsoft promises a daily dose of games, movies and music. Those who want to surveil Santa can visit NORAD's page today, while Windows 8 and Windows Phone users can also grab native tracking apps through their respective stores.
Saints Row 4 DLC aims to save Santa from the simulation
Saints Row 4 developer Volition will drop some holiday-themed DLC on December 11. The "How the Saints Save Christmas" DLC pack sees Santa Claus trapped inside the Matrix-like simulation that is at the heart of Saints Row 4's campaign, and only the Saints can save him. But there's just one problem: the boss isn't fond of Christmas, despite the visible exuberance for the holiday demonstrated in the art above. The DLC will be available as part of the Season Pass or as a separate download for $6.99 on December 11. Check out the gallery below for more festive shots of the Saints and a snow-covered Steelport.
Will Ferrell Apple Switch ads are a holiday-themed blast from the past
Remember these fun Christmas ads from Apple that featured Will Ferrell as S. Claus? It's hard to believe they are 10 years old (part of Apple's short-lived Switch campaign, which also launched early Internet celebrity Ellen Feiss). Grab a cup of peppermint-flavored coffee and take a walk down memory lane this Christmas Eve.
A visit to NORAD's Santa-tracking facility (video)
Few things in this world will reaffirm your holiday spirit faster than watching a dozen or so uniformed service people cover a room in Christmas wrapping. Also on that short list, it so happens, is spotting one of the aforementioned troops hand-feed an overzealous and noticeably plump squirrel who's anxiously scratching on the door to get in. It's a strangely Snow White-esque moment that unfolds minutes after we set up our gear in the conference room of the Leadership Development Center -- a drab, unassuming office space in the middle of Colorado Springs' Peterson Air Force Base that serves as a training facility for 11 months out of the year. But now, in early December, there's a transformation occurring, as men and women in various shades of camouflage paper the space with Christmas spirit in record time. For one month a year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) converts this area into holiday central for NORAD's Santa Tracker, a half-century-old program that has become a thing of legend -- a curious juxtaposition of warfare preparedness and storybook magic. It's one that, somehow fittingly, is rooted in a mistake -- a phone number misprinted in a 1955 Sears catalog, prompting local children to call Santa's "private number." Those calls from excited boys and girls were routed, the legend goes, to the big red phone in the war room of NORAD's predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), where quick-thinking Col. Harry Shoup asked his troops to play along. Now, 57 years later, it's a massive undertaking, as volunteers in military garb and Santa hats answer calls from children in hundreds of countries.
Dead or Alive 5 Santa DLC checks off both naughty and nice today
The elves over at Team Ninja's workshop have completed the latest round of costumes for Dead or Alive 5. Well-timed Santa suits for each brawler are bundled into six fighter-specific sets, available now for 240 MS Points ($3) each on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. There's also the option of two larger set packs costing 640 MS Points ($7.99) each.We've got a bunch of screens in our gallery below, in case you're wondering what a Ninja Santa looked like. Go ahead, it's only natural to feel curious about something called Ninja Santa.%Gallery-173701%
TERA holiday event wants you to kill Santa
What could possibly more fun than hunting down and killing Santa? How about doing it in a corset and fishnets? From December 14 to January 2, TERA is inviting players to find both Fat and Tiny Santas in game during their Santa's Slay event. Holiday drop loot includes themed cosmetic items, enchanting gear, and high-level consumables. You also have a chance to win a Santa cap that's exclusive to this event. Check out more info on the event's official announcement.
You're the Pundit: What OS does Santa use?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is Santa. What OS does he use? According to Apple, he uses an iPhone 4S but we're not necessarily swayed by Apple PR. We're pretty sure that Rudolph is an avowed Red Nose Linux user, and Donner and Blitzen swear by any hardware that supports Thunderbolt. So how does Santa compute? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your reasons. %Poll-72261% (Photo by DGrinbergs, Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)
Dungeon Defenders for Steam gets new holiday skins and maps, on sale
Dungeon Defenders has gotten a whole stockingful of new content for the holidays, available now for PC players. There are new skins and new holiday-themed weapons for all four of the classes, new holiday-themed dress and clothing for enemies, and even a brand new mission to play, which tasks players with delivering presents and then defending them against an army led by a Mega Snowman. That's a ho-ho-whole lot of updates right there. And as if that wasn't enough, the base game is on sale on Steam for the holidays, where you can pick it up for under $10.The team at Trendy is even giving a holiday wallpaper away for free over on the official website. You'd have to be a real Grinch to not check that one out! See more of the holiday update content in the trailer above and the gallery below. %Gallery-142218%
Star Supremacy needs space-men to help Santa find his space-sleigh!
Fun fact about Santa: Not only does he have to visit all of the houses across the world in the span of a single night, but apparently he's on galaxy duty as well. Jolly St. Nick will be making the rounds in Star Supremacy during the game's Xmas event, during which he'll be making appearances on the neutral planets twice a day. He's not there for pleasantries, however; Santa needs players to help him find his sleigh, and he's prepared to dish out Christmas stocking bounties as rewards. Barbily Games is also preparing to roll out its Gemini update, which will bring back three PvP systems for players to conquer. The update will also include a helping hand to lowbies' energy regeneration, new equipment, improved construction, and the ability to retreat. You can get a good look at the update in our new Star Supremacy gallery below! %Gallery-142298%
Apple ad: Santa Siri hits the airwaves
The concept is well-worn. The character is familiar. Even the final joke is telegraphed. But there's no way around it: this Santa Siri TV ad is a winner.
