Apple has bought Israel’s Anobit, a maker of flash storage technology, for as much as US$500 million, according to a report in the Israel-published “The Calcalist” (http://www.calcalist.co.il/home/0,7340,L-8,00.html), as reported by “Reuters” (http://macte.ch/sOYnD).
Anobit has developed a chip that enhances flash drive performance through signal processing, the article adds. The chip is already incorporated in Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad and the MacBook Air.
“The Calcalist” says Apple is interested in Anobit’s technology to increase and enhance the memory volume and performance of its devices. The chip could double the memory volume in the new iPads and MacBooks. In addition to the acquisition, Apple will also open a research and development centre in Israel, its first outside the U.S.