Here at Finish Line, and especially with our Blog, we do a lot of serious work, and tackle some scary and damaging topics. Many of these subject matters are a bit dry though they’re important to explore for your well-being. Let’s face it, computers, though necessary, aren’t exactly sexy or exciting by nature. Since Christmas is coming this Friday (Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, Happy Winter Solstice, I think that should cover them all), I thought it was time to do something fun for a change! Since we’re all about apps here, why don’t we look at a few that add to your Christmas festivities. They’re not particularly useful, but neither am I four days from the big day!
Before we get started, it’s important to mention that the following apps presented in this post are all free and work with Apple, Android, and Microsoft devices. If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, these apps are found in the (appropriately named) App Store. Android and Microsoft platforms utilize Google Play. Now that that’s out of the way, if you’re around children (or you’re just a big kid yourself) on Christmas Eve, NORAD Tracks Santa is a must! Never again will you have to be the one to tell an excited child where Santa is at that particular moment in time. Hand him your phone or tablet, and he can follow Santa’s journey across the globe. The app is especially useful in enticing wide eyed children to get to bed before jolly old St. Nick arrives! If you download the app early, there’s a Santa countdown which counts the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to the time he heads down the chimney with a sack full of presents for the good little (and not so little) boys and girls. There are also games, videos, and music to get you into the Holiday spirit. Since this is the 60th anniversary of NORAD tracking Santa, there is, of course, merchandise available through the app to commemorate the occasion. Gotta love it!
When I was a kid, I used to write letters to Santa. Occasionally, I’d get a letter back from the North Pole. As time went on, you could call Santa directly and plead your case about how good you’d been over the course of the year. This brings us to the newest technology, an app called “A Call From Santa!” I’m not gonna lie, this app is pretty cool. You (or your child) can call Santa’s voicemail which is suprisingly not full, or, the best part, request a call from Santa. Tap “Request A Call”, and you can choose the child’s age, gender, reason that Santa should call, and when he should call, anywhere from immediately to thirty minutes. A couple of examples for reasons to call are “Put on nice list, because”. Another menu will open with reasons such as “Was nice in general” or “Cleaned room”. If you’re not feeling quite as charitable, Santa can threaten your child with moving to the naughty list for a number of reasons such as “Threw a tantrum” or “Said a naughty word”. Santa will also wish you a Merry Christmas or give that special little one encouragement for “Riding a bicycle” or “Brushing teeth”. Yes you can get moved from the naughty list to the nice list as well since Santa believes in restitution. This is a free app, but if you’d like to pay $1.99 you can avoid all the advertisements.
Have you ever wanted to be an elf? I know that there have been days I’ve wanted to be! Thanks to the app, Elf Yourself, you can get a sneak preview to see if you can actually pull off the look. I’m sure you’ve seen the videos on TV and the Internet of faces, celebrities and otherwise, dancing in elf costumes. If you’ve been interested in joining the fun, Elf Yourself is what you’ve been looking for. Upload up to five photos from your device or Facebook of yourself, friends, family, anyone you can think of, choose a dance theme, and the app will create a unique video of dancing elves that can be shared via e-mail or Facebook. Similar to A Call From Santa, Elf Yourself is free to download, but if you get tired of seeing the same movie repeatedly, you can purchase additional dances for $0.99, or all of them for $4.99 Dances include hip hop, classic, disco, 80s, and house party.
The Christmas season is a magical time of year. It’s a time of new beginnings, and gathering of family and friends. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!