Google acquires Flutter to bring Kinect-like features to computers

Flutter, which builds gesture-recognition technology for desktop computers, has been acquired by Google. The year-old startup builds software allowing users to control their computers by making gestures in front of their webcams, initially describing itself as "Kinect for OS X." Its early efforts focused on letting users control music programs including iTunes, Rdio, and Spotify. Google released no statement on the acquisition, but the technology could one day find its way into the company's Chromebook line of laptops. In a post today on his company's site, Flutter CEO Naveet Dalal said joining Google would add "rocket fuel" to its research efforts. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. A graduate of the Y Combinator startup incubator, the company had raised $1.4 million from Andreessen Horowitz and others.