It seems that Microsoft was not the first company who could have had their hands on the software that has been used in their Kinect motion controller. PrimeSense technology is one the main pieces of the puzzle inside Kinect and it turns out that Apple was on PrimeSense CEO Inon Beracha"s wish list of companies to take on the motion control device.
In an article on Cult of Mac, they make mention of how the technology had been shown to Apple in various meetings. Inon Beracha felt that Apple was one of the best places to take the technology thanks to their past history of what he said was "Interface Innovation" after the company had released its iPhone device to media and public applause.
In the end it turns out that due to a host of Non-Disclosure Agreements and legal documents that have become the norm for Apple to require companies to sign. PrimeSense decided that they didn"t want the hassle of being tied down, especially when there was no certainty of the technology being used. They also believed in the technology so much that they knew their product would sell elsewhere.
It was a decision that was proved to be right in the end, now that Kinect with PrimeSense has been released to the public just over 2 years later. Microsoft allowed PrimeSense far more freedom and they also turned out to be much easier to work with according to Beracha.
The past week has also seen Microsoft buy out Sony sidekick Canesta. They are the company that worked on Sony"s PlayStation Eyetoy. There could be a number of reasons behind the acquisition; some say it is because the Kinect technology still needs a lot of refining, while others will say it helps stop Sony from having access to the technology the company previously provided.
Kinect for Xbox 360 was released last week in the U.S and will launch in Europe on November 10.