What if Every Car on the Road Was a Roaming Traffic Report?

Dash Navigation announced what could amount to a revolution in the GPS world. Unlike other devices, it's based on a connected model that gets information from the Dash community. Using Dash you are a part of the network that is actively providing traffic information to other Dash users. Your car is a wheeled real-time traffic report.

Most of the new GPS, like HP iPAQ Traveler, Garmin, and Magellan, are all emphasizing bells and whistles such as the ability to play music and show photos, provide 3D views, or be incredibly compact. But Dash is trying to reinvent the category with a connected world of GPS.

The new system was announced a month ago, but will not be available until early 2008. No official price has been set yet. The new GPS is called Dash Express. Physically the device is greatly improved from the original Dash systems. There's a better interface, a full QWERTY keyboard, and a high contrast screen.

Dash Express uses both the GPRS cellular and Wi-Fi networks to aggregate information from all of the other Dash devices on the road. It's constantly updating road conditions in real-time based on information gathered regarding the speed and locations of other Dash Express users. (In theory it's providing anonymity and security, too.)

The unit is quite extraordinary. You can send it an email from your house. This avoids having to print out maps and carry them with you, as well as having to sit in the car and key in your destination. Plus, it'll send you an SMS message telling you the best way to get to work and what time you need to leave. Finally, it gets constant updates from Yahoo! Local, a much more up-to-date alternative to working with static maps. Another hidden advantage, according to the company, is that thieves don't want it. Because it relies on over-the-air software updates it's kinda useless to steal (at least for the discerning thief). Check out the interesting How It Works diagram.

I spent some time with the new Dash Express while it was in beta testing. One thing I can add is that Dash Express is not is pretty, sleek, or elegant. Relative to other GPS devices on the market it's big and ugly-looking, even the new Express unit.

Many in-the-know experts think Dash is a bit too late in claiming this "connected GPS" territory. They say that Garmin and Magellan, for example, are working on their networked connected communities now. But I'm watching for the Dash Express with interest. Funny how the GPS is ready for reinvention even though there still aren't that many Version 1.0 GPS in cars today.