Al Ain: Cinema buffs will soon be able to keep abreast of film schedules through their Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) with the help of a software developed by a group of Emirati students.

The mobile application has been designed to update the latest information and services from a preferred movie theatre or all theatres in a given area with a single touch of the PDA.

The group, studying at the College of Information Technology (CIT) of UAE University, has yesterday displayed the application at the annual IT Senior Exhibitions in Al Ain.

Students involved in the development of the software are Alia Darmaki, Asma Falasi, Haifa Beloushi, Mariam Kaabi, and Shamma Ketbi who worked under the supervision of Dr Adel Serhani.

Explaining how the new software works, the students said it integrates the information systems of different cinemas through a web services technology. It has been given the name of Eivom Mobile Cinema Guide.

"The application can be considered an extension of the current web based systems that provide users with such information online," said the group.

It, however, provides an additional value over conventional web systems as it plays an intermediary role between users and different cinema applications, in addition to providing users with some customised services that match their preferences.