Israeli company PrimeSense, who did a lot of the heavy lifting in the design of the original Kinect, have been bought out. Not by Microsoft, but by Apple.
“Sources” tell website All Things D that the deal went through for around $US360 million. While Apple isn’t commenting on why the company was bought, if iOS device (or at least Mac) cameras don’t start shipping with 3D capabilities in the next few years, something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
You might think this is terrible news for Microsoft, but it’s not; while PrimeSense were instrumental in the design of the Xbox 360’s Kinect, the Xbox One’s camera was conceived and built entirely in-house at Microsoft.
Apple Confirms Acquisition of 3-D Sensor Startup PrimeSense [All Things D]
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13 responses to “Kinect “Inventors” Get Bought By Apple”
Next story… apple retroactively patent kinect and sues MS…
that actually sounds incredibly likely. They’ve done it before, heck they even tried to claim rounded squares as their invention even though it’s existed for a really really long time
“Xbox, swipe to unlock!”
Except you cant retroactively patent something… thats the whole point of the patent system 😛
“On the ground, walking, because humans can’t fly! It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s Captain Obvious!”
Oh you were joking? I thought jokes had to be funny.
*rolls eyes* Whatever dude.
@stormageddon you have an AWESOME name. I just watched that Doctor Who episode the other day hahaha.
Stormageddon is my name, Dark Lord of All is my title
Or Apple makes PrimeSense to produce their own version of a camera and call it the kinect killer lol.
“Apple hailed as revolutionaries for introducing gesture controls for home entertainment with Apple TV Camera”
I can see that happening.
I can see Apple finding a better use for Kinect than Microsoft r at least making it “just work”.
Well; At least Apple takes the time to get things right the first time rather than just rushing something out the door (With their maps being the one exception). Remember when they finally put an FM radio in the iPod Nano which did more than just let you listen?