During Tim Cook’sD11 interviewa few months ago, the CEO said that Apple had bought out 9 companies since October of last year. If that number sounds a bit high, that’s because it is, as the iPad-maker usually averages 6-7 acquisitions per year.
And the shopping spree may not be over just yet. According to a new report from an Israeli news source,the Cupertino company is currently mulling over another buyout. This time it’s PrimeSense, the motion control specialists behind the Kinect…
Here’s the report fromCalcalistvia9to5Mac, and roughly translated via Google:
“Negotiations between the two took place in recent weeks about Apple expressed interest in buying the products of PrimeSense, and contacts matured later purchase offer.
The negotiations between the companies is indeed early stages, but the Apple at the highest levels considering the company’s technology and its adaptation to future Apple products. In early July a delegation visited Israel secretly senior engineering managers Apple in optical hardware, spent a whole day society located at the soldier. This delegation does not generally come to Israel, and the fact that she did so in full, demonstrates the seriousness of Apple’s intentions towards PrimeSense.”
The deal is said to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $280 million. That’s not a huge amount, considering Apple paid over $350 millionfor AuthenTeclast summer, but it’s enough to suggest that Apple has deliberate plans for PrimeSense tech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zXKqIr4cjyo
And just what is PrimeSense’s tech? It has to do with 3D body sensors and motion control—again, Microsoft used the company’s sensors in its original Kinect accessory. It has also worked with Asus and other manufacturers on motion control hardware.
So what could Apple be working on that would benefit from motion control tech? How aboutthe Apple TV? We’ve heard anumber of rumorsclaiming Apple is working on a TV set with a slew of features, including the ability to control it with movement.
We’ll hold off further speculation until we get word that the deal is final, because despite the rough translation, it’s clear from the report that the acquisition talks are in very early stages, and Apple isn’t the only suitor. Samsung and Sony are also interested.
What do you think Apple could want with a motion control company?
