Dash Express Two-Way GPS Now Available for Pre-Order
It was almost a year ago when we first told you about the Dash Express, an Internet-connected in-car GPS unit that may be the future of travel. The most touted feature of the Dash Express is its two-way communication that allows multiple units to communicate with each other sharing information about traffic conditions. Much to the excitement of road warriors, the Dash Express will finally be available in 2008, with pre-orders being accepted.
This GPS unit is almost cynical in a way. While another person may be stuck in a traffic jam 10 miles up the road, the Dash Express connects to the Dash Driver Network, which is a real-time database of all other Dash Express owners and their currently location, speed and more. Using this kind of information the Dash is capable of recognizing upcoming traffic jams and provide up to three different routes around the jam.
Another unique Dash Express feature is its Send2Car ability which allows physical addresses to be automatically sent to the Dash Express from any browser. This could allow you to prep your unit prior to leaving the house (or allow others to send an address) eliminating the danger and hassle of inputting addresses by hand into the GPS unit.
Express Dash has also inked a deal with Yahoo! that lets drivers enter search requests into the Dash Express terminal. Yahoo Local search will then find the addresses of local businesses and services relevant to the search.
The one remaining problem is that Dash would require fleets of cars to be using its GPS unit for some features to truly be beneficial, and at $600 and $10 per month, that may be a tough sell.
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Ahh - but it's fun to see where you are in the world's eyes, even if it can be a little vain.
(mypartofcolorado dot blogspot dot com)
I was part of the beta test for the Dash. It was, by far, the best GPS unit have used. The directions were 99% correct. The ability to give you 3 different routes and how long each route would take was priceless. I travel for work and I used it in more states than I can remember. I have already prepurchased mine and can't wait for it to show up.