New products are available for U.S. drivers who need navigational assistance when on the road. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Thales Navigation, the developer of the Hertz NeverLost vehicle navigation system, introduced new Global Positioning System (GPS) products at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

For those who already own or want to buy a handheld Magellan GPS receiver for pedestrian and recreational purposes, Thales Navigation designed vehicle navigation software to be used with the receiver. Thales Navigation, a global provider of GPS services that include Magellan consumer and Thales Navigation professional products, developed Magellan MapSend DirectRoute to enhance the functionality of existing Magellan handheld GPS devices.

The software was developed in response to market research that found more than half of Magellan customers want to use their handheld GPS receiver for occasional street navigation, as well as for pedestrian and recreational activities. Users of the new product now can have access to topographic maps, marine charts and street navigation – all on a single Magellan receiver.

Sold alone or pre-packaged with a Magellan handheld GPS device, MapSend DirectRoute is priced at $149.99 and features a database with more than 35 categories of downloadable points of interest for the United States and Canada

-Paul Dykewicz