santa apps

This past weekend, we took our son to see the man himself; Santa Claus. The little guy was so excited, yet surprisingly patient, while we waited in line. We were unsure as to which way the visit would go - would he smile at the sight of Santa or would he cry? He didn't smile but, luckily, he was just acting shy. When he gets older, I know he will ask us so many questions about ol' Kris Kringle;

"How does he deliver all of those presents in one night?"

"How does he know if I've been bad or good?"

"Why does his belly shake like a bowl full of jelly…and Daddy's too?"

For the first two questions, I have the answer - Santa has a BlackBerry! Hey, why not? Santa is a pretty busy guy and these days, he needs more than elves to maintain his workshop's productivity. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to have a seat on Santa's lap to find out what applications he uses (mall security wouldn't have been happy, neither would my son). So I've compiled a list of what Santa may have on his BlackBerry smartphone, let's see if you agree.

Ho Ho Hold on, I got a message

Let's hope the apps listed below will keep Santa's BlackBerry full of fa la la la la la!

trackIT: Vehicle Edition

Without a tuned up sleigh, Santa would get stuck carrying all of those presents on his back. Imagine the kids waking up to the horrifying sound of runners snapping as the sleigh slams onto the roof with a large bang. Proper maintenance of any vehicle is important, especially if it's carrying my new BlackBerry! trackIT: Vehicle Edition will help Santa keep track of repairs, mileage, expenses, repair shops and more. Saint Nick can schedule repairs and oil changes, as well as view graphs and summary reports. He'll be able to use it with multiple vehicles; perhaps for his Porsche 911 Targa 4S. trackIT: Vehicle Edition is $14.95.

WeatherBug

Just like the postal service, Santa will see to it that the presents will be delivered ("neither snow nor rain..."). This doesn't mean that he will blindly fly unprepared. Santa can use WeatherBug to keep up on live local weather. He can also view severe weather alerts, camera view and detailed radar maps. The application also offers international weather coverage. Santa will also be able to share weather information with Mrs. Claus back at the North Pole. WeatherBug is free.

Dictate On The Go

Even Santa should practice save driving/flying. He should keep both hands on the reigns and only check/compose email and text when at a red light, on a roof top or stopping to let a flock of birds fly by. MyCaption offers a few speech to text solutions, enabling Santa to dictate a memo, email, text or calendar entry. Information is accurately and securely captured. Synchronization with Google, Lotus, Outlook and more is supported. One package that is available is a monthly subscription of $9.95 for unlimited messages. They also offer pay-as-you-go plans.

Nobex Radio Companion

I know he's full of holiday cheer, but I'm sure if Santa had to hear sleigh bells the entire night, he'd go nutty. Santa can put in his stereo Bluetooth headset and tune into Nobex Radio Companion. Stream radio over WiFi or a carrier's network. Listening to a radio station from a user's home country is free, but Santa can use the premium version and tune into over 400 stations from around the world. He'll have access to lyrics, song/artist info and will be able to receive links to buy songs and rock around the Christmas tree. Nobex Radio Companion comes in a free version and an annual Premium version that runs $19.99.

Calorie Counter

Santa needs to watch his weight. In this case, he has to make sure he maintains his jolly figure. I feel bad for the reindeer, but I just can't picture a skinny Santa on Christmas (though it would make climbing down the chimneys a bit easier). Calorie Counter allows him to view a weight chart and keep a journal. There are also diaries that help him keep track of all of the milk and cookies he's ingesting and record the calories he's burning. I just hope it's not too much or else the reindeer won't be able to take off. Calorie Counter is free.

Pet Tracker

"On Dasher! On Dancer! On Prancer! On..hey Prancer! You don't look very well." Not only does Santa need a working sleigh, he needs a working team to pull the sleigh as well. This means they need to stay healthy. Trust me, no one wants to fly behind a gassy reindeer, if you catch my whiff....errr....I mean drift. Pet tracker is an animal tool that Santa can use to keep record of his team's health. He'll have quick access to information, including vaccination info, birthdays, Veterinarian details, and specific notes for each animal. No more mixing up Rudolph's nose polishing appointment with Vixen's pedicure. Pet Tracker is available for $7.99 until December 31st.

PocketDay Lists

An organized Santa is a productive Santa. Instead of toting around the huge Naughty or Nice list, he can use PocketDay Lists to store it on his BlackBerry. This versatile application helps Santa create an unlimited number of lists with custom fields, alarms and appearances. Now he can track who gets coal and who get presents. He can also manage a supply list and ToDo list, as well as set due dates or priority. Lists can be sent as an email to import into Excel, thereby sharing information if his elves. PocketDay Lists costs $19.95

e-Mobile GPS FindMe

The Elf flight crew back at Christmas HQ work tirelessly to make sure Santa Claus doesn't get lost. It's not like they have a back up, and no, I'm not putting on the suit. e-Mobile GPS FindMe is the perfect solution. Santa's BlackBerry is transformed into a compass. The application can help him determine his current location, providing velocity, latitude and longitude. With his elves sporting the application as well, he can find out their location too. e-Mobile GPS FindMe costs $19.99.

THE Flashlight

"Rudolph, with your nose so bright won't you gui - oh...never mind...I have my BlackBerry."

Santa's trusty BlackBerry does it again! Handy light application such as THE Flashlight will shed light on any situation (could I say light any more times?).This application uses the camera flash/ video light and not the LCD screen light. It offers one touch access to vision in the dark. THE Flashlight is available for $1.99 until December 27th.

As long as Santa doesn't waste time trying to beat his high score on Brick Breaker, I think Christmas will be saved. Let's just hope that he has a decent vehicle mount for his BlackBerry. Did this list make YOUR nice or naughty list? Do you have any others to share? Write a comment, and then write your list to Santa, if you haven't already.

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