My latest and coolest gadget -- the Dash Express GPS

Those of you that know me personally know that I love cool, electronic gadgets. I'm what some people might call an "early adopter". I usually have good success choosing winning technologies (such as the Xbox 360, the iPod Touch, etc.), but I've picked some losers as well (like the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player and anything made by Iomega). And even though Blu-Ray beat out HD-DVD, I still love watching movies on my Xbox 360 HD-DVD player.

My latest and greatest gadget is the Dash Express GPS unit. I've used other GPS units in the past, such as the Garmin StreetPilot series and Hertz's NeverLost system, but the Dash Express just blows them away in terms of functionality.

Some time ago, I bought my wife the Garmin StreetPilot C550 GPS, and while it's a great little product (for her, at least), I never really found much use for it around Phoenix, since I generally know where I'm going. And that's the problem with most GPS systems... Their main purpose is to get you to someplace in which you're not familiar with, and that's about it.

Well, the Dash Express goes one big step forward by being internet-connected via cellular service. The biggest advantage this gives you is real-time traffic updates, and the Dash Express will even offer you a quicker route if the one you're on suddenly becomes congested. But it doesn't stop there. It has Yahoo Local built into the unit. Most GPS units have pre-programmed Points-of-Interest (POI's) built into them, but they are limited. By connecting with Yahoo Local, the POI's are constantly being updated, and you get additional up-to-date information about them as well.

For example, on my wife's Garmin GPS, I can find the nearest gas stations, but with the Dash Express, I can find not only the nearest gas stations, but also how much they are charging for gas.

Additionally, the device is regularly updated by Dash, since it's connected to the internet, so you always have up-to-date maps that you don't have to buy separately. And you can even send data to and from your Dash Express and your personal computer. In fact, there is a Twitter application for the Dash Express that will post updates to your Twitter account to let your friends know exactly where you're at (see some of my Twitter posts at the right for examples).

So, if you're in the market for a GPS unit, be sure to check out the Dash Express. If you're as much of an internet geek as I am, this is the GPS unit to have.