The Dash Express, a groundbreaking Internet-connected in-car GPS device that uses both Wi-Fi and GPRS for IP connectivity, launched today and is now available for order on Amazon.com.

The groundbreaking aspect? Crowdsourced real-time traffic info. "Dash uses 'crowdsourcing,' where its own fleet of users communicates back their positions, speeds, and other data (including traffic reports from Inrix in Kirkland, Wash.) so that Dash can calculate traffic on both freeways and major side streets," explaines VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi. "This is a big advantage over other kinds of GPS navigation systems."

And as TechCrunch's Erick Schonfeld notes, the Internet connectivity is equally useful. "You can't browse the Web, but you can use the touch screen to search Yahoo! Local for nearby gas stations, restaurants, airports, and any other place that might be listed," he writes. "One of my favorite features: it can tell you the price of gas at each station nearby so you can price shop without wasting gas driving around."

Summing up the range of reviews already published, SlashGear's James Allan Brady writes, "Overall, everyone said it was worth the $400 and the $10-12 per month for the Dash, especially if you drive in an area that frequently suffers from traffic congestion."

Still, as Gizmodo's Wilson Rothman points out, this is just the first of what will surely be many competing solutions with this type of functionality. "Garmin, magellan and TomTom are racing with their own connected and crowd-sourced strategies," he writes. "This is the opening salvo of what will eventually be a tough, possibly deadly battle."

More here from the WSJ ... more here from SlipperyBrick ... more here from CrunchGear ... more here from TWICE ... more here from I4U News ... more here from CNET Reviews ... more here from Laptop Magazine ... more here from Engadget ... more here from AllThingsD ... more here from GPS Business News ... more here from Product-Reviews ... and more here from PC World.