Apple acquisition tied to iOS 4.1 HDR capability?

A currently unconfirmed Apple acquisition may have played a part in the company’s addition of High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography to its iOS 4.1 feature set. Eric Slivka of Mac Rumors reports that Apple may have purchased UK-based company imsense to gain its expertise in dealing with HDR processing. Imsense, known for its “eye-fidelity” near-instantaneous Dynamic Range Correction software algorithms, was purchased by “an undisclosed trade buyer in July 2010,” according to a note on the website of Braveheart Ventures, which backed imsense. The report goes on to note that nearly all of imsense’s web presence, including its website and Facebook and Twitter accounts, has been removed since its acquisition, and its iOS application imphoto has disappeared from the App Store. Finally, imsense Director of Engineering Alexis Gatt left the company in July 2010, only to become a senior engineer at Apple.