Magellan Partners With Google On GPS Device

SAN JOSE (AP) ― Magellan Navigation Inc. has teamed with Internet powerhouse Google Inc. to put local business listings on its first portable navigation device to feature wireless connectivity. The Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS, being unveiled at next week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will be among the first in a new crop of global positioning system devices to sport GPRS cellular capability. Several other GPS device makers, including Dash Navigation Inc., are expected to also show navigation products with connectivity features at CES. The connectivity means users on-the-road could get a taste of the same up-to-date information they are already accustomed to getting from the Internet, such as real-time traffic conditions or the location of the cheapest gas. No longer will users be limited to just the points-of-interest or map data embedded in the gadget. For example, users of the Maestro featuring Google Local Search can type "pizza" into the device and then Google will display its relevant results, including Web-based recommendations, around the user's specified or current location, Magellan said. Users or others will also be able to wirelessly send information, such as a destination address or other notes, directly from their PCs or Web-connected gadgets to the car-navigation device. But the cutting-edge connectivity won't come cheap. The Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS will be Magellan's premiere GPS model with a price tag of $1,299 when it becomes available in March. Users will also have to pay a yet-to-be-determined monthly fee for the GPRS service.