Google Loses Santa To Bing

New submitter Sebolains writes "Unlike previous years, NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) has decided to use Bing maps to track Santa's journey as he goes around the world delivering presents. Starting Christmas eve, one will be able to go to the official NORAD Santa tracking site and use Bing maps to see where Santa is delivering presents at that time. In previous years, NORAD has always gone for Google maps to track Saint Nick. The reason for this switch were not disclosed, but since nearly 25 million people are expected to use this tool come this Christmas, this will definitely benefit Bing in the ongoing competition for online map applications."

Comments

I tell my kids he uses Apple maps.

[Kenja]

And that's why no presents, he got lost.

Re:I tell my kids he uses Apple maps.

[durrr]

The mayans predicted the disaster that is Apple maps. The end of the era is due to Santa using his iPhone to navigate and strays into NK airspace, being mistaken for a US spyplane and swiftly shot down.

Re:I tell my kids he uses Apple maps.

[Anonymous Coward]

The NK rockets only hit the ocean by accident. They weren't aiming for it.

Re:I tell my kids he uses Apple maps.

[eldavojohn]

And that's why no presents, he got lost.

"No presents this year, little Timmy. Also, I just got off the phone with the Australian Authorities who said they found Santa dead in Murray Sunset National Park. Unfortunately it looks like Santa had a new iPhone for navigation and was forced to eat eight of his reindeer. Then there was apparently a struggle between him and the last reindeer. After several blows, it broke free and eventually flew off to leave Santa to bleed out in the dirt from gory antler wounds. These are sad times but we still have each other, just no more frivolous Christmas gifts -- ever again!"

*walks away nipping on a fifth of bourbon*

Multi angle aerial shots

[sorensenbill]

I've never used them for navigation but Bing maps(furnished by Nokia I believe) have much better aeriel photos. I can see my house from 6 angles on Bing, which is mostly blocked by a large tree on Google. That being said I still use Google maps for pretty much everything else just because I'm used to it.

Re:Multi angle aerial shots

[Grand]

You can do multiple angles on the satellite images on google maps. It is not as intuitive as Bing, but you have to drag 'N" that surrounds the Pan tool to the different cardinal directions to get it to rotate. I will agree with you though that Bing's aerial images are better (at least in my experience).

More appropriate?

[Sesostris III]

I'm not exactly sure why, but when it comes to mapping some non-existent being's non-existent journey, Bing seems somehow so much more appropriate than Google.

Re:More appropriate?

[high_rolla]

All so it can be viewed by Bings non existent users.

This is what they get for the new filter settings.

[Anonymous Coward]

It has made Santa very mad that he has to specify the pictures he is looking for... naughty or nice...

So, that answers that...

[John Pfeiffer]

NORAD, using Microsoft products... Well, at least we know how the world ends.

Re:What's Bing?

[Anonymous Coward]

The correct question is "Who's Bing?", and the answer is that he starred in White Christmas with Danny (effin) Kaye, so using Bing is entirely appropriate.

Well...

[empty_other]

Well payed, Microsoft. Well payed..

Re:Use Bing or we'll shoot this elf

[Anonymous Coward]

Somebody woke up with a reindeer head in their bed. On a more serious note, WTF is wrong with people that they go to this much trouble to lie to children?

FSM uses Google maps

[olddoc]

I read on some gold plates that the Flying Spaghetti Monster uses Google Maps for His flying.

Re:Google Maps Pricing

[morcego]

Also, it is not like Google is the small kid that needs to be protected against Microsoft.

Whatever the reason for the switch, in a nutshell we can simply say: Google dropped the ball.

Better title

[miltonw]

I think a better title for this story would be "Apparently, NORAD owns 'Santa' and has now sold him to Microsoft"

Re:Google Maps Pricing

[Lehk228]

their data may be ok but their software that interfaces it is horribly out of date, it would have been acceptable during the era of streets and trips '97

with google maps i can put a search string (such as a business name town and state; or even something more generic like Gas town state) in as a destination address and it will automatically retrieve the address if it has it, if there are multiple matches it pops up a (did you mean) dialog then plugs them in for you.

Re:Google Maps Pricing

[grcumb]

My guess is MS made an offer ($$) that Santa (NORAD) couldn't refuse.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. But he's just a ho (ho ho).

Re:Now just WAIT a minute!

[Rockoon]

You are, apparently, unaware that they don't do this any more.

You are, apparently, unaware that you have three options when you don't know what you are talking about.

A) Don't talk.
B) Talk anyways, but make it clear that you are guessing and making assumptions.
C) Talk anyways, but act like you know what you are talking about.

You blew right through both A and B and went right to C, the one that proves that you care more about looking like you know what you are talking about, than actually knowing what you are talking about.

Re:What's Bing?

[Trogre]

Easy - it's not Google.

As in: Bing Is Not Google.