The direction-finding market is so overcrowded that companies have to go to great lengths to stand out from the fray. That means novelty that comes along at a blinding speed. Magellan’s latest effort to garner attention is the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS, the first direction-finding device to offer real-time Google Local Search. That means that you can go a step further than just figuring out where you are going and look for things to do when you obtain there.

Local Search can show you everything from where to eat to what movies are playing at the theater around the corner. The GPRS association means that you can obtain real time traffic and weather information, and it allows you to send addresses and notes wirelessly from your PC to your device with an internet link without needing to wrestle with cables. The machine with its 5 inch screen will be accessible in March. It’s not for the contemptible or the poor – the MSRP is $1299.