Search company introduces SmartView to its mapping program Yahoo Inc. introduced a “visual search” feature to its mapping program Tuesday, allowing users to locate local destinations such as movie theaters, hotels, and automatic tellers machines (ATMs) on a map display, as well as access destination information.The new SmartView tool on Yahoo Maps is just the latest search offering served up by Yahoo as it invests more in the growing Internet search market.The Sunnyvale, California, company said that SmartView exemplifies how it can leverage the company’s in-depth local information with search functions. After locating a point of interest on a map display, users can click on icons to access expanded destination information and retrieve additional data such as phone numbers, user ratings for hotels, driving directions and Web site addresses. The offering lets users view local points of interest such as hotels, restaurants, movie theaters and ATM locations on a map. Users can then click on icons to access expanded information, including phone numbers, user ratings for hotels, driving directions and Web site addresses.Additional information on attractions is also available by clicking a “Web search” link, which grabs information from sources such as Yahoo’s Web search, Yellow Pages, Travel and Movies listings.A search for the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., for example, offered up listings for nearby food and dining, recreation, community services, shopping and financial listings. U.S. President George W. Bush may be pleased to see that 11 Mexican restaurants are listed just a stone’s throw away, along with theaters, a mall and a host of ATMs. Yahoo has been aggressively pushing into the search market in recent months by launching a new search engine, dropping listings from Google Inc. in favor of its own and offering paid inclusion search. Company Chief Executive Officer Terry Semel said last year that search was one of the consumer segments Yahoo would focus on, predicting robust growth in the market. Software DevelopmentTechnology Industry