Yahoo search - coming
to a car near you

Yahoo and Dash Navigation announced a partnership that will combine Yahoo's local search technology with Dash's internet-connected automotive navigation system (via iMedia Connection).

Dubbed Dash Express, Dash's global-positioning-system technology will provide location data that Yahoo can use to narrow search results to nearby businesses. Drivers will be able to conduct a local search on the device - then navigate to the geographic location of the search results. The service will go launch in California in the spring, with a national rollout this fall.

"It really is a new implementation of mobile search. People need to find information about local businesses and what's around them not just when they're at their PC," Peter MacDonald, senior director of business development for Yahoo Local, told the Wall Street Journal.

Last week, Ford and Microsoft announced plans to deliver more wireless connectivity into a car's cockpit. The system, dubbed Sync, will allow hands-free cell phone communication and other options like receiving email and downloading music.