Two ways the kids can connect with Santa

When I was a kid, I used to stay up all night just for a chance to meet Santa. If there had been iPhones back then, I wouldn’t have had to — Mom & Dad would’ve just launched their devices and let me connect with him that way instead. (And I wouldn’t have seen my father, year after year, bang his shins in the dark and get snagged by branches under the Christmas tree while cussing up a storm in the middle of the night. But that’s another story…)

Thank goodness for the modern age. Now we’ve got apps like Magic Santa, an iPhone app that lets parents customize video messages from Santa himself. A little hokey? Maybe to us, but not for a little 5-year-old who believes in Old Saint Nick. Check out the cute demo vid.

Best part? This little bit of childhood wish fulfillment is free and easy to customize — unlike beating back the last-minute masses at Toys ‘R Us. Just download and watch the little ones’ faces light up. (Download link at the bottom.)

If you’re in the App Store anyway, you may want to note that the old Santa-stalking tactics of NORAD is available for download. That’s right, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has an iPhone app that lets children follow Santa Claus on his route from the North Pole to deliver presents!

There are other Santa-tracking apps in the store, no doubt, but it’s tough to beat NORAD — the agency has been following his whereabouts every year since 1955! It first offered location info via telephone back then, but in recent years, thanks to new online technologies, it has coupled with Google Earth to offer “real-time” tracking information on the jolly fellowonline, on Facebook and via an iPhone app. The $0.99 Santa Tracker 2010 application, by Talus Media, adds new features this year — including the “North Pole Blog,” “Santa’s List,” “World Population and Educational Map,” “Santa Text” and a “Countdown Timer.” You can also personalize it, like adding the kids’ names to Santa’s List and other areas.

It really does look like a magical app. But be warned: It’s a big download. If you plan to snag it, you may either need to make room for it on your device or possibly reboot it once loaded.

To grab Santa Tracker 2010 ($0.99), click here.

To grab the Magic Santa app (free), click here.