Interesting rumours surfaced yesterday about Apple looking to buy Israel based Primesense. It was interesting because Primesense are a company which was involved in the development in the technology used in Microsoft's Kinect sensors. We wondered what does Apple want with this gesture control technology; is it for Apple desktops and laptops - which have stubbornly resisted incorporating touch-screens into their designs, or could it be an indication of Apple getting some gesture controlled consumer tech ready for our living rooms?
Primesense bills itself as a company which works in "giving digital devices the gift of sight." It recently raised around $30 million from investors to help in future projects and ventures. A $280 million valuation for such a company, in a tech area which everyone is expecting to take off seems rather low. Yet this is the price that Apple is rumoured to be offering to buy the company out.
BS and journalistic delusion
A source from Primesense told TechCrunch that the rumours of the buyout were "BS", and went on to describe the rumours as "journalist delusion based on unverified and twisted hints." The source commented on the figures by adding; "280M? Come on! We’re worth 10 times that. :)"
The Apple buyout rumours appear to have started following the visit of a delegation of Apple's "senior engineering managers" visit to Primesense's facilities in Israel earlier this month. Apple owns three development centres in Israel. The Cupertino, California based company has yet to comment on the Primesense buyout rumours.
