Apple and Google reportedly in takeover talks with fitness-tracking watchmaker Basis Science

The wearable device category suddenly became the cynosure of the tech industry last year, and soon after rumours about a possible Apple iWatch surfaced. While there has been no-show from Apple so far, rumours are rife that the company will be launching its iWatch along with the iPhone 6 later this year. Now further strengthening the rumours, Apple and Google are in a race to acquire Basis Science, the maker of the Basis health tracker smartwatch, according to Techcrunch.   The report says that along with Google and Apple, Samsung and Microsoft are lining up to be potential buyers of Basis. The price being quoted to buy the fitness-focussed startup is less than $100 million. So far, Basis has raised over $30 million in funds from investors such as Norwest Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund and Intel Capital.  The Basis watch is a health-tracking device with sensors that keep a tab on the users’ heart rate, motion, calorie expenditure, sleep cycle, changes in skin temperature and perspiration level. It comes with a smartphone app that manages data collected by the sensors and offer analysis based on various metrics.   So any company which manages to buy Basis will have access to a treasure trove of technology and patents that could go a long way towards strengthening the wearable portfolio. For example, if Apple manages to acquire Basis, we could have an iWatch releasing later this year, that can accurately monitor vital stats and send off alarms and alerts when necessary.   Apple is known to be **working on the iWatch** and an app called Healthbook that will serve as mediator between the wearable and the iPhone 6, and help monitor users’ vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, hydration levels, and also glucose levels.   After the not-so-popular Galaxy Gear, Samsung hasn’t given up hope. This time its working on the Gear successor rumoured **“Galaxy Band”** . Just like the iWatch, the Galaxy Band is also targeted at fitness freaks and athletes. Though rumours are sporadic, Google and **Microsoft** are also believed to be building their own smartwatches.