Google launched a mobile  version of its movie search service Tuesday that is compatible with Apple's iPhone as well as all mobile devices running Android and the Palm webOS. The new offering promises to make it easier for movie fans to plan their next theater trip while on the go.
Google's movie search results are available now in English on mobile devices in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. To access the new mobile service, users go to Google.com in the handset's web browser, search for "movies" and then tap on the "more movies" link, wrote Google mobile team member Nick Fey on the Google Mobile Blog.
"From there, you can either browse a list of movies or select the 'Theaters' button to browse a list of theaters near you," Fey wrote.
Mobile Movie Trailers
Google's new movie listings page incorporates buttons that enable web visitors to play the latest movie trailers on their phones. Mobile users also are able to drill down to access more details about a film, such as the movie's rating, Fey noted.
"Just touch the poster or movie title and you'll see our new movie-details page that has a synopsis of the movie, a more detailed list of showtimes, the cast and crew, and pictures," Fey wrote.
The new service also provides users with new ways to explore films by genre. "Sometimes, you might feel like seeing a sci-fi flick or a romance, but you're not sure what's out in theaters," Associate Product Manager Dan Stokeley wrote on The Official Google Blog. "With genre filters you can start browsing right away and quickly find the right movie for you."
Alternatively, users browsing by theater will see a map of the venues nearest to them. "Then just tap on the link to any particular theater to see what shows are playing there and what times they're playing," Fey wrote.
This is where Google Maps Navigation can come in handy, at least for users with compatible handsets running Android 1.6 or higher. They will be able to chart a course to the nearest theater in the list by speaking the address, the name of a nearby landmark, "or just about anything into the search box and Google will find it for you," Google Software Engineer Keith Ito wrote on the Google Mobile Blog. "Then press 'Navigate' and you're on your way." (continued...)
|
