Apple is reportedly looking to acquire Israeli fabless semiconductor company Primesense. According to local newspaper Calcalist, Apple has offered $280 million to buy the 3D sensor specialist following discussions over the embedding of its technology inside Apple products. In the past, Primesense worked with Microsoft to include its technology, chips, and designs inside the first Kinect accessory for the Xbox 360.

It's not the first time Apple has looked to purchase an Israeli component maker. In January 2012, the company confirmed it had acquired flash storage company Anobit in a $400 million deal. Primesense's 3D-scanning technology is used in more than 20 million devices around the world, including sensors that can be used in both smartphones and tablets. Primesense technology can also be found in new portable scanners capable of generating detailed, color 3D models of interior spaces.

While Primesense has focused on gaming and the living room in the past, the company's recent projects include working with ASUS to provide the 3D sensing technology for its WAVI Xtion PC, development of 3D motion-activated games, and it has also collaborated with companies in retail, robotics, and healthcare industries. We have contacted Apple and Primesense for comment on the acquisition and will update the article accordingly.

Thanks, Hagai!

Update: In a comment to Mashable, Primesense's CEO stated that his company would not comment on the rumor, and that it was still focused on growth. The full statement is below.

We are focused on building a prosperous company while bringing 3D sensing and Natural Interaction to the mass market in a variety of industries. We can't comment on what any of our partners, customers or potential customers are doing and we’re not commenting on rumors.