Google Takes on NORAD in Santa Tracker Race

Dec. 4, 2013 — -- Your toughest decision this holiday season? No, not whether to make an epic gingerbread house or what gadgets to buy, but how you will decide to track Santa on your tablet, laptop or smartphone.

On the heels of the release of NORAD's Santa tracker site and apps, which was built this year with the help of Microsoft, Google is unwrapping its Santa tracker website and Android and Google Glass apps today.

Visit www.google.com/santatracker now and you will be able to visit Santa's village, which is stocked with cute cartoon elves and fun games. Much like NORAD's site, Google will release new games every day. One will allow you to race reindeer and another will let you drop presents down a chimney.

Find out More about NORAD's 2013 Santa Tracking Tech

Come Dec. 25, the site will transform into a Santa tracking command center. Using Google Maps, the site will show Mr. Claus' whereabouts and a ticker of the number of presents he and his reindeer have delivered. You will also be able to search "Santa" in Google Maps on Christmas Eve. NORAD will be relying on Microsoft's Bing Maps.

Google will also release a Santa tracking app for Android phones and Google Glass. With the Google Glass app you'll get updates about Santa's location on Christmas. No word on if Santa himself is wearing Glass and whether he had to pay $1,500 for his own pair. NORAD will be releasing its tracking apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

It would appear that it is a fierce competition this year for the best Santa tracking tech, however, NORAD maintains that it isn't in "competition with any other Santa tracking sites."

"We only worry about providing the very best experience for our Santa trackers," Stacey Knott, NORAD's Deputy Chief of Strategic Outreach, told ABC News. "We have been tracking Santa since 1955 using our military satellites, radars, fighter jets and Santa cams."