While Microsoft and the North American Aerospace Defense Command battle it out with Google for dominance in the skies Christmas Eve, this year NORAD is doing something different. It has launched an awareness social media campaign asking the public to help name its newest Elf in Santa's Village.

Retail stores capitalized on higher online searches this Thanksgiving holiday season. Bloomingdale's and Macy's turned Cyber Monday into Cyber Sunday, beginning online sales a day early, and added free shipping and returns into the mix. Talbots, Neiman Marcus and a host of other stores extended Black Friday deals through Sunday. Most marketing platform providers that are tracking sales report an uptick in overall Thanksgiving weekend online sales, while a handful of shoppers admit they had no problem finding a space to park at two popular southern California malls.