Sunnyvale, Calif. — Dash Navigation announced today it is taking preorders on its first-of-a-kind “always on,” two-way personal navigation device (PND).
The company assigned a $599 price tag to its Dash Express that not only provides real-time traffic reports, but also tracks the travel speed of its users to aggregate traffic reports that are broadcast to other Dash users. It also performs wireless Yahoo! Local searches on the go. The PND has a cellular data connection built-in to its power-supply cord as well as built-in Wi-Fi.
After several delays, the device will ship this February with retail distribution starting this spring, said the company.
Dash Navigation has road tested the Dash Express through approximately 2,000 users over the past several months. The company said it is taking preorders because shipments will be limited initially and it wanted to give the early testers and other early adopters a chance to buy the first units in February.
Service fees for the device start at $9.99/month with an upfront, two year payment, moving to $10.99 for a year’s payment and $12.99 on a monthly payment plan.
The device is also one of the first to provide a traffic overview for an entire metro area (not just one route path), and it also delivers gas price and movie time listings, as well as street-name guidance.
