Track Santa via Internet and Mobile Media

Even Santa is going digital and mobile.  I had nearly forgotten about the “Santa Tracker” by NORAD.  But when I saw it pop up on a Google search, I quickly clicked over to the official site to see how things were going with Santa and his 2009 trip.  I had never really paid close attention to the various components of the site until today, so I felt compelled to share with you how even Santa is utilizing emerging media to keep people up-to-date with his activities. 

This official “Santa Tracker” is filled with a variety of digital and even mobile media forms of marketing.  On the home page, you instantly see the huge countdown to the big trip in days, hours, minutes and seconds.  (It’s clicking away fast!!).  Santa is using a lot of “flash” to give you an inside look at the North Pole.  If you click on the Kid’s Countdown link at the top, you’re taken to a virtual tour of Santa’s hometown and what all the elves are up to in preparation for the big trip.  As you explore, there is beautiful Christmas music playing in the background. 

Other emerging media components include sending Santa an e-mail, YouTube videos of news releases, 2008 trip highlights and more.  You can also join Santa on Facebook and Twitter to get constant updates of the preparations and the actual trip.  You can download text updates on your mobile device and Santa even gives you the internet address of the mobile device website for viewing.  You can download Google Earth for free and watch the trip of Santa and his eight tiny reindeer.  You can also download the iGoogle gadget to personalize your homepage to watch videos and track Santa’s position. 

I’m glad Santa is so tech-savvy.  It’s exciting to be a part of the fun.  Won’t you come and join me??

Playing on a Website is Fun!

Ok, I know this is a quick second post, but I just simply can’t help myself.  This blog is going to be all about emerging media or digital media as I call it, and I just have to share something I just found relating to the topic.  A couple forms of this media are websites and widgets.  We’re all familiar with websites (you’re on one right now), but the definition of a widget may escape some.  According to whatis.com, a widget is defined as follows:

“In computers, a widget is an element of a graphical user interface (gui) that displays information or provides a specific way for a user to interact with the operating system and application. Widgets include icons, pull-down menus, buttons, selection boxes, progress indicators, on-off checkmarks, scroll bars, windows, window edges (that let you resize the window), toggle buttons, forms, and many other devices for displaying information and for inviting, accepting, and responding to user actions.”

I like widgets.  I think they’re very inventive . . . some are informative, such as weather widgets . . . some are helpful, like scroll bars . . . and some, like the example I give below, is just fun.

This evening, while doing some preliminary research for another class, I think I have found my favorite widget and just wanted to share it with you.  This is such a great example of digital media in a fun and interactive way.  I found myself playing with this widget and laughing out loud to myself (actually, I’m glad no one in my family caught me, or they may have thought I had lost it).  But it’s just . . . for lack of a better word . . . cool.

I found this widget at the top of the VSPink homepage.  Click on the link below and visit the site.  I would love to get feedback from you as to your opinion.  I know, it really has nothing at all to do with pink fashion for college co-eds, but it’s fun.  Give it a try . . . I “HOPE” you enjoy it.