The latest trend in GPS devices is to provide a wide array of information regarding the particular area the driver is going through at any given time. And since points of interest (POIs) seem to simply not do the trick anymore, the Magellan company has just announced Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS model, one of the first devices available on the market that will allow users to search for local events, as well as local businesses and services.

Thus, the most important feature accessible on the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS connected navigation device is Google's real-time local search, a service that allows users to search the Web for businesses in a specific neighborhood, providing detailed, Internet-based information about those firms. Through the new Maestro Elite 5340's wireless GPRS connection, Magellan also delivers real-time traffic information, local weather forecasts, and makes it possible for users to wirelessly send addresses and notes to the GPS device directly from a PC with an Internet connection. The user can send destination addresses to the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS in advance of the trip or have someone at home or back in the office send information from the Magellan website directly.

As the company informs us, the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS is the most advanced GPS model ever released by Magellan. Like all of the newly introduced Elite models, it provides rendered 3-D landmarks and buildings, 6 million points of interest (POI), a USB port and advanced voice command functionality. The Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS also features a 5-inch WQVGA widescreen, a 533 MHz S-Media 3362 processor, as well as the ability to perform deep searches on local areas and receive information sent from a PC for on-the-fly changes.

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with Google to provide GPS users with the most relevant local data available in a format that puts people in control of their travel experiences more than ever before," said Nelson Chan, president and CEO of Magellan. "Google's renowned expertise in helping users search and organize information adds a powerful and compelling component to our new Magellan Maestro Elite line. As the GPS category begins to expand beyond basic navigation and into more versatile exploration uses, the personal navigation device (PND) will become a primary resource for drivers and travellers to search for and access real-time information, monitor traffic information about their specific routes, and transmit data between communications devices."

According to the company's statement, the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS is scheduled to be available at retailers in March 2008 for an estimated MSRP of $1299, which is a very high price for a PND, especially one incorporating a relatively young and unproven technology.

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