Blogged live from DEMOfall by Alex
Iskold
Dash Navigation has launched the first truly connected automotive
navigation system. Dash plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and connects to the
Internet via cellular networks and Wi-Fi.
Dash excels at helping you avoid traffic. The traffic information comes from road
sensors and other Dash systems that are on the road. The information flows over to the
Dash servers, gets aggregated and then pushed back to individual Dash systems – ensuring
up to date traffic information.
Dash also innovates in the directions space, by offering multiple routes to the
destination with corresponding time/distance tradeoffs. When you do not know your
friend’s address, your friend can login to Dash’s web site and type in his home address.
The address is then automatically sent to your individual Dash, which in turn instantly
computes directions.
Dash also integrates web search and other web services. You can look up a wide range
of information from movie times to gas prices. You can also look up local services like
restaurants or liquor stores. Dash automatically detects the address of the destination
in the search results and shows the shortest route. And after the detour it allows you to
seamlessly resume your previous travel.
Dash is a navigation device which will be available in January for California and by
the end of the year in the rest of the country. You can get more information on the Dash
website, at http://www.dash.net.
