Apple (AAPL 0.39%) is reportedly close to acquiring PrimeSense, the company whose technology powered the original Microsoft Kinect. An Israeli news outlet reports that Apple made the acquisition for close to $350 million, but AllThingsD believes the deal hasn't been sealed yet. The reports come after the same Israeli outlet reported over the summer that Apple had made a $280 million offer to PrimeSense, so it seems the price tag has gone up since then. Apple has been on quite an acquisitive streak of late, buying 15 companies in fiscal 2013. That's up from its historical norm of swallowing six companies per year.
The most obvious use that Apple may have in mind is for TV gesture controls, much like what Microsoft has done with Kinect. Apple's biggest innovations have always involved interface changes, and the TV interface is in desperate need of some change. Beyond TVs, there are also possible use cases in mobile devices and Macs. Third-party offerings featuring motion controls have garnered some interest recently; just imagine if Apple were to jump in.
In this segment of Tech Teardown, Erin Kennedy discusses Apple's rumored acquisition with Evan Niu, CFA, our tech and telecom bureau chief.
