Google Unveils New Movie Showtime Search



SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG - news) said on Wednesday movie showtimes are now available on its leading Web search engine and can be accessed via personal computers or mobile phones and other wireless devices that use short-message service.

The new feature also provides information such as theater locations and reviews, and enables users to search for movies by title, plot or genre.

Competitor Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news), which is making a big move into entertainment, offers such data as movie showtimes, theater locations, reviews and ticketing purchasing through its Yahoo Movies section.

Users of Web-enabled mobile phones also can use Yahoo Movies to search by movie name or to find out what's playing at nearby theaters.

Google, Yahoo and most recently Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) MSN Internet unit are battling to offer the most comprehensive Web search products since those services fuel fast-growing advertising revenues.

[Story and Picture From Yahoo! / Reuters]