Dash (Internet Connected GPS) Lays Off 50, Will End Hardware Sales

Those 50 are 2/3 of the company’s staffers. Those with devices in hand will continue to receive support and updates, though it’s not clear for how long. The company has investor money to stay alive through 2009.

Other changes:

- a move to a B2B rather than B2C model
- end of hardware business
- will license the platform to nav, smartphone and netbook devices
- CEO will step down

The challenges, said new CEO Rob Currie in an interview with Om Malik had to do with the cost of going to end users, the challenge of PND and phones in the nav space and the economy. Malik suggests we may see Dash apps for smartphones, like the iPhone, soon.

My take: Dash was the first ones in the pool and the company took too big a leap. The high original cost ($600) with few distribution channels (and thus few models to be seen and tried - think Amazon’s Kindle) were a challenge. The big sell of combining user information to reveal traffic challenges was a great story, but one that never seemed to reach critical mass for use. I do agree with Malik that we will have more interconnected devices, the Dash may just end up a footnote in that story.

- GigaOm via ZDnet

Update: “possibly, most likely, found the remains of J. Stephen Fossett”

Update 11/4/08: Confirmed via CNN.

——original story 10/31/08—-

That’s the word from Madera County Sheriff John Anderson via CNN. Some bones and Fossett’s license were found about 1/4 mile from where some cards and money were found about a month ago. The investigation is waiting on DNA testing for confirmation.

Update: How often will your favorite election map update?

Update 11/4/08: I can find no evidence from CNN about this, but Toronto’s CityNews promises that using CNN resources it will deliver “up-to-the-second” maps.

CityNews.ca has teamed up with our partners at CNN to let you track the up-to-the-second American election results online. Our interactive map lets you follow every state’s progress and also tracks the key battleground areas - the places both candidates must win to take it all.

——original post 11/3/08———

Let’s start the comparisons! The Times (UK) will update its “colour coded” map every three minutes tomorrow night.

Our live electoral map (above) will give readers instant news and immediate context from tomorrow’s drama, with updates every three minutes to reflect the candidates’ fortunes as votes are counted.

Using a colour code, it will show if - based on latest information - a state is safely in the hands of either the Republicans or Democrats, if it is leaning towards either party but has not been conclusively secured, or if it is too close to call.

3 Ways to Find Polling Place in Indiana: Which would you choose?

The Fort Wayne Indiana News Sentinel offers up three helpful ways to find your polling place. The first points to a statewide voting site indianavoter.com and has three steps. The second which uses the Allen county GIS portal and has seven steps. The final option, calling voter registration, has just one step.

Podcast: Nov 4, 1998

Ten years ago this week Directions Magazine launched. The names in the news included Microsoft, MapInfo, Seagate, Mapquest and Broward County, Florida. Join our editors for a look back at that week’s news to see some of the changes in our industry and community in the last decade.

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