Rumors have begun to circulate that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
has purchased PrimeSense, an Israeli company that manufactures chips. These
chips have a special purpose, as they allow machines to view scenes in 3D.
According to a report from the Calcalist financial newspaper, Apple purchased
the Israeli company for $345 million, or 213 million pounds. The paper did not
list its sources, and PrimeSense and Apple have yet to confirm that the deal
went through.
According to a spokesperson for PrimeSense, “We are focused
on building a prosperous company while bringing 3D sensing and natural
interaction to the mass market in a variety of markets, such as interactive
living room and mobile devices. We do not comment on what any of our partners,
customers, or potential customers are doing, and we do not relate to rumors or
recycled rumors.”
The chips that PrimeSense manufactures allow machines to
scan a scene, such as your living room, in three dimensional views. This technology
was used in Microsoft’s X-Box Kinect, which allows you to control video games
using nothing but your body motions.
If Apple did indeed purchase PrimeSense, it would be a great
move that would boost Apple’s ability to build interactive devices that would
help control basic home functions. With this technology paired with Apple’s
current programmable devices, the possibility for 3D chip usage reaches far
beyond gaming and into the world of a truly universal remote.
