Just as Dash—makers of the internet-connected, traffic-terminating GPS—is bailing out of the hardware game to sell its awesome software to other companies, TeleNav is officially doing the exact opposite: Jumping in with its first GPS device, which sounds a lot like the Dash Express (on paper, anyway). The internet-connected Telenav Shotgun delivers real-time traffic reports with intelligent re-routing, dynamic maps, automatic updates, web search, cheap gas locator and online pre-planning, which lets you plan your route on PC and shoot it over to the Shotgun automagically.

Read More »

We've always been fans of the Dash Express, with its real-time web-delivered traffic monitoring and its constantly evolving app platform. Somewhat sad news today is that Dash Navigation will be pulling out of the consumer hardware business entirely and cutting 50 jobs (two-thirds of its work force)--enabling them to move toward licensing their innovative software platform to other GPS nav makers, as well as to mobile phones and MID platforms in the future. But in a lot of ways, the move makes perfect sense.

Read More »

Call up "DIR-ECT-IONS" (clever) on your way to the car and tell the friendly robot who answers where you want to go, and you can have a route beamed to your Dash GPS over the web instantly. Dial Directions already works with a few other online and mobile services, but this Dash integration is a pretty great trick. Just pair your mobile number with your Dash to get started, and start entering routes without having to stoop over and tap in your directions. [Dial Directions - Thanks, Dave!]

Read More »

Motive mag takes a look at the digital dashboards of the 1980s; a time where men were men and electronic car computer technology barely made anything fancier than some green LEDs. Despite this handicap, auto manufacturers came up with some fancy displays, as typified by this predecessor to my own 350Z, a Nissan 300ZX Turbo. Man, we'd like to see more of this kind of digital Knight Rider-esque readout in modern cars, but we have a feeling that the tach on the Prius would look pretty pitiful. [Motive Mag]

Read More »

galleryPost('dashupdate21b', 3, '');Dash navigator's latest update rolls out today, allowing for a few key improvements. • My Route records your local paths between two points (or locations within 800 metres of those points) and recommends the route along side... Read More »

In this week's Giz Explains, we're doing a quick rundown of a sweet technology that has evolved from a (deadly) serious military application to becoming a household utility, found in all kinds of gadgets: GPS.

Read More »

The first third-party applications for Dash's GPS (you know, that internet-connected smart GPS) are here, and they do some interesting things. There's Trapster, which shows you whether there are speed traps ahead (and let you contribute trap information), Mediaguide, which shows you the last three tracks played on any FM or AM station, and WeatherBug, which tells you weather conditions now and later.

Read More »

The Dash Express GPS just received its first historic traffic model update using the live Dash data gathered by users. That'll help predict traffic in areas where no Dash or other trusted data sources have been in the last 15 minutes. By end of month, a software update is coming with tweaks in performance, stability and routing. As for today's historic update, Dash recommends all users download the patch by Wi-Fi. Let's hope that more updates come often as this one, and with more features using that internet connection.

Read More »

In a move not unlike the "Send2Car" feature on the Dash Express GPS navigator, Garmin has worked it so that people using Google Maps and MapQuest will easily be able to send the address they're looking at to their navigator, to avoid typing it in all over again.

Read More »

Today we learned that the seductively interactive Dash Express GPS navigator is using the OpenMoko open-source mobility platform that led to the Neo 1973 smartphone. This makes the Dash the first product based on OpenMoko's GTA0X reference design, and the GPS hardware was designed to Dash's order by OpenMoko and its parent company, FIC. Did we need one more reason to love this thing? Well, we got it. (There's a press release down below.)

Read More »