Following Directions

Navigational instruments have changed a little since Magellan’s time. The new V6000 Digital Vehicle Compass does more than point north. Urban explorers can find themselves with the three-mode compass, test the air with the inside/outside temperature sensor, reach new heights with the altimeter that measures elevation as high as 19,990 feet, and be prepared for almost any kind of weather with the micro weather station that measures barometric pressure and makes meteorological predictions. All this in a gadget the size of a pocket camera that mounts on any windshield. For nighttime navigators, a photo diode even senses light conditions and turns the LCD screen backlight on automatically.

V6000 Digital Vehicle Compass, $129.95 from PNI, (888) 422-6672, www.pnicorp.com; California Car Cover Co., Chatsworth, (818) 998-2100; The Sharper Image, Beverly Hills, (310) 271-0515; Glendale, (818) 548-7997; and Redondo Beach, (310) 542-8775.