Google buys Quiksee to add Virtual Reality to maps

Israeli paper Ha'aretz reported the deal for the startup.

The Israeli company's acquisition by Google is rumored to be valued at around $10 million, though neither company would comment on the move.

Quicksee lets users build "Virtual Reality" areas inside buildings or where Google's streetview camera-toting cars cannot go.  For instance, you would film the roof of your building with a normal camcorder and the software would  stitch together a 360-degree moving panorama.

The video is then uploaded to Quiksee's server with geo-location and directional data. Quiksee places in a Google (convenient!) map for people who might be looking for 360 degree landscapes of that area.

Now, Google will likely add the tool to its repertoire of data gathering methods for better geo-indexing the globe.  In particular, businesses will be able to utilize Quiksee's VR tools to build out their Google Places profile.Here's a great example of a Quiksee user going where "Google Streetview camera's cannot go".