Google’s buyout of startup Android (reported here) has been the subject of much speculation. BusinessWeek, which first reported on the July acquisition, says that the small company, co-founded by Andy Rubin, who earlier started Danger Inc., was developing software for mobile phones, possibly a mobile OS.
But according to a VC who looked at the company as an investment option and passed on it late last year, the presentation from Android was for an OS for digital cameras, aimed at lower- end original design manufacturers (OMDs) like BenQ and Acer. The idea was to couple the camera OS tightly with other media software and hardware like iTunes and iPods.
Of course, since then, the company may have changed directions … or maybe not. Or maybe both … tying into Picasa and mobile enabling pictures in some grand way. At that time the company was looking for a $3-4 million round, the VC ventured.
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