Apple mulls $280m bid for Kinect motion-sensor firm - report

Apple is preparing a $280 million offer for motion-sensing firm PrimeSense, whose technology Microsoft currently uses in Kinect.

That's according to a report in business newspaper Calcalist, as translated by Variety.

Apple is said to be in early discussions to snap up the Israel-based firm for use on its own mysterious projects.

How about a Kinect-style camera for iPad? A built-in sensor alongside the existing camera could allow you to play motion-controlled games. Or how about a TV-connected sensor for controlling Apple TV, which is still in need of a killer app?

PrimeSense's work forms the clever bit of the current-generation Kinect, Digital Foundry wrote way back in 2009, before the peripheral was even announced and when it was known only via its codename, Project Natal.

"While Microsoft claims credit for the entire Natal design, the key component - the 'brain' of the camera - actually appears to have originated from Israeli start-up company, PrimeSense, with Microsoft itself responsible for the optics and the software."

Microsoft has since moved forward with development on the Xbox One's next-gen Kinect sensor without PrimeSense.