Tracking Santa with Technology

Tracking Santa with Technology

Technology can bring magic to the Christmas season and some fun too! Internet users¹ can find out if they are naughty or nice, follow Santa's journey, and play fun Christmas games.

Portable² North Pole

People can make online videos with a personal Santa message in English, Spanish or French at Portable North Pole, or PNP. Santa will say the names of users, show photos and talk about the user’s good behavior this year.

Go to the Portable North Pole website and sign up with an email address, Facebook or Google account. There will be questions to answer to make the video personal. Users can add a photo of the person to whom the video will be sent. They can also add a picture of themselves as senders of the video.

The PNP video can be shared through social media and email. It is free but you can also pay to put in additional³ photos, make a longer video or to download the video.

NORAD tracks Santa

NORAD, the North American Aerospace⁴ Defense⁵ Command, follows Santa as he travels across the planet⁶. It is the 60th anniversary⁷ of the Santa Tracker. It can be found on the NORAD website and free NORAD Santa apps.

The website is available in eight languages. It includes games, movies and other activities. Then, on Christmas Eve, visitors can watch as Santa makes his way around the world.

Google Santa Tracker

Google also follows Santa on Christmas Eve at the Google Santa Tracker website and through apps.

Visit Santa's Village, learn about holiday traditions around the world, play games, watch videos, and more, all on on the Google Santa Tracker website. 

To track Santa, use the website or the free Google Santa Tracker App for Android and Google Santa Tracker app for iPhone and iPad.

A call from Santa!

Parents can help their children behave with the app ‘A Call From Santa!' This app gives unlimited⁸ free calls from Santa.

Santa will praise a child for being nice or scold a naughty child. The app plays recorded voice messages from Santa. Children can also leave their Christmas wish list and a message for Santa.

ElfYourself

The ElfYourself app permits users to see themselves as elves. They can also make dancing elf videos. After the app creates the dance video, it can be shared on social media or email.

Hungry Santa

How did Santa get so plump⁹? By eating lots of sweets!

Hungry Santa is a game that lets users fill up Santa with sweets and treats. They can move Santa around so he can eat cookies, candy and other sugary foods. Santa does not seem interested in healthful choices.

The free app keeps score so users can compare their scores with others around the world. There is a Hungry Santa app for Android, iPhone and iPad

Words in This Story

magic - n. a very pleasant, attractive, or exciting quality

naughty - adj. behaving badly — used especially to describe a child who does not behave properly or obey a parent, teacher, etc.

personal - adj. belonging or relating to a particular person

aerospace - n. n industry that deals with travel in and above the Earth's atmosphere and with the production of vehicles used in such travel?

app – n. computers : a computer program that performs a particular task 

tradition - n. a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time

scold - v. to speak in an angry or critical way to (someone who has done something wrong)

elf - n. a small creature in stories usually with pointed¹⁰ ears and magical powers

plump - adj. having a full, rounded shape

cookie - n. a sweet baked food that is usually small, flat, and round and is made from flour and sugar

candy - n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate

1 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

2 portable   

adj.轻便的，手提式的；n.便携的东西

参考例句：

• I have a portable typewriter.我有一个便携式打字机。
• There is a pretty portable pair of steps in one corner of the room.屋角放着一架小巧玲珑的折梯。

3 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

4 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

7 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

8 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

9 plump   

adj.丰满的，丰富的，直接的；vi.下降，支持，变丰满；vt.突然放下，支持，使丰满；n.突然膨胀，坠落；adv.骤降，直线下降，不加限制的

参考例句：

• The baby is plump and very cute.那个婴儿白白胖胖的，十分可爱。
• The grains are quite plump.谷粒儿很饱。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。