The built-in cellular GPRS and Wi-Fi capabilities of Dash Express give users instant access to information about what's happening along the freeways and arterial roads on which they expect to travel.

This picture of road conditions is compiled from the data gathered by each and every unit on the network, together with information supplied by unrelated traffic resources. In addition, Dash Express automatically alerts travelers whenever traffic conditions suddenly change and a faster route becomes available.

Bypassing Traffic Snarls

In a blog posting, Mark Williamson, an employee at Dash Navigation, explained how he used the unit when he had to rush his pregnant wife to the hospital last month. "I knew the most direct route was a local highway (California's infamous US 101), but this can be a parking lot at 8:00 a.m.," Williamson noted. "My other option was to take various surface streets, but I really needed to know what traffic was like on these two routes before making my first turn."

Dash Express gave Williamson the green light for using the local highway and the couple arrived at the hospital well in advance of their daughter's birth.

Road warriors can use Dash Express to access local search services of Yahoo and other providers in order to review the people, places, products, and services that are located in the vicinity of their routes. For example, the device provides access to gas prices, theater schedules, and other time-sensitive information.

Unit Customization

The MyDash portal gives Dash Express users the ability to create and send customized search buttons directly to their devices. This particular feature allows travelers to gain access to information about the shops, restaurants, and other venues at the touch of a single button. Moreover, third parties can highlight an address in any Web browser and relay it directly to the device.

Featuring a 4.3-inch, touch-sensitive color display with 480 x 272 resolution, Dash Express is scheduled to ship beginning in February 2008. "We recently began the final phase of testing of our new hardware," said Dash Navigation CEO Paul Lego. "A few hundred beta testers are partnering with us to put the new devices through the paces. While we still have a lot of work to do, we're getting there."

Dash Express can be preordered for $599.99, which includes three free months of wireless service. Thereafter, the monthly wireless subscription cost will range between $9.95 (two-year plan) and $12.95 (month-to-month).