December is here, that means two things are more or less omnipresent: Santa Claus Star rs. And both are represented in this week’s roundup of new updated Android apps. ’s Santa Tracker returns, while its best feature is still to come, you can dig into holiday games for now. Meanwhile, the updated Star rs app brings the franchise into VR with a tie-in to The Force Awakens.

Sticking on that VR note, ’s Cardboard Camera app is a neat new tool that lets you transform a panoramic photo into a virtual reality flashback. Free-to-play platform-action sequel Rayman Adventures Adobe’s new emiere Clip tool round out the week’s offerings, so if it’s new apps games you seek, look no further.

Santa Tracker

One of ’s most delightful traditions continues with the return of Santa Tracker. As the name suggests, its centerpiece is the Maps-based tracker tool, which goes live on December 24 shows Santa’s trajectory as he delivers gifts all around the world. ckily, you don’t have to wait ‘til then to have some fun with the app.

It’s loaded with simple mini-games for kids, including a memory-matching game, a tilt-to-roll gumball puzzler, a game in which you snag lost presents as an elf on a rocket-powered sleigh. One snowball-tossing game optionally uses Cardboard VR, as well, plus there are animated videos—including this charming trailer— Android ar watch faces to enjoy. Savor the tmas spirit on all your Android devices.

Cardboard Camera

Most VR content today is simply meant to be consumed—but here’s something you can actually create. Cardboard Camera is ’s own app for generating 3D photos that you can view in virtual reality with your phone a Cardboard viewer. Simply take a panoramic photo of your surroundings, as you’re guided, then pop on the headset marvel at the results. 

It’s impressive, albeit limited: you’re not creating a full photosphere, so there’s no top or bottom to the frame. Still, for about a minute’s work, the depth immersive nature of the photos are impressive, you can add a quick bit of sound or narration for atmosphere. Cardboard Camera could be a perfect way to store past memories of events places: grab a photo then experience it again later in VR.

Star rs

The official Star rs app launched back in ly, but there’s a big update out this week: kku Spy is an episodic Cardboard VR video series that ties into The Force Awakens, which hits theaters on December 18. Nine total episodes are listed, all set to release a couple days apart until the movie’s out, the first entry already brings fan-favorites like the Millennium Falcon the new BB-8 droid into virtual reality.

And then, about a minute later, it’s over. Surprise! It’s a short one: after the iconic text crawl, there’s just a glimpse of those iconic sights before the clip ends. But it’s a tantalizing start to what will hopefully be one of the more memorable VR experiences on Android, if you don’t have a Cardboard viewer, you can just watch it in full-screen on your phone. 

Rayman Adventures

Rayman Fiesta Run is one of the most delightful platform-action games on Android, now the side-scrolling hero is back— free-to-play. ke its predecessor ( ngle Run before that), Rayman Adventures distills a console-like 2D action experience into a series of taps swipes. As your hero or heroine runs, you’ll jump, punch, swing, leap between walls, more. ecise timing careful input selection is needed as the levels get trickier along the way. 

Adventures looks even better than before, with gorgeous h-drawn artwork throughout, although the new freemium approach isn’t for the better. It clutters up the experience with little creatures you need to collect, feed, hatch (with timers!), although the core play seems largely unaffected. In other words, you’re trading a price tag for some extra annoyances, but much of the fun remains intact.

Adobe emiere Clip

Adobe has tailored more of its apps for mobile of late, emiere Clip is another fresh option that maintains the essence of the desktop video program without the complexity. Once you have footage, you can use the included tools to trim down tweak the clip as desired, or simply have emiere Clip automate the process. Choose a song the app will auto-edit a short clip based on the beat, making social media-ready footage in seconds.

emiere Clip has value to anyone, but it’s especially useful for those already entrenched in Adobe’s Creative Cloud. For example, you can pull in custom looks designed in the Capture CC app, or transfer your project to emiere o CC on or Mac for more advanced tinkering.