January 6, 2008 5:34 PM PST

Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS hooks up with Google Local Search

Posted by Bonnie Cha

Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS

(Credit: Magellan)

Well, well, looks who's stepping up its game? Today, GPS manufacturer Magellan announced its most ambitious in-car portable navigation system yet: the Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS. Scheduled to ship in March, the Maestro Elite 5340 allows you to use a GPRS connection to connect to the Web from the device itself and conduct real-time searches for local businesses, services, and events via Google Local Search. You will also be able to send addresses and notes wirelessly from your PC to the Maestro Elite 5340. Sound a bit familiar? Perhaps it's because it's somewhat similar to the Dash Express, though the Dash adds Wi-Fi to the mix and uses Yahoo Local Search.

Other features of the Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS include voice command functionality, 3D building and landmark renderings, 6 million points of interest, and a 5-inch touch screen. You will pay for all these features as the unit's priced to go at $1,299. I'm pretty to anxious to see the Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS live in action, so check back for my hands-on report as I pay a visit to the Magellan booth at CES 2008.