Microsoft has finally gone and offed Pioneer Studios, the operation that was behind the now dead, and still awesome, Courier tablet. The studio was the baby of J Allard, who broke up with Microsoft a year ago, and helped develop consumer electronics and experiences with products like Windows Phone 7, Xbox, Zune and the absolute flop that was the Kin. [Cnet]
Microsoft’s about to embark on a one billion dollar marketing adventure to support Kinect and Windows Phone 7. Good luck to them! Because as these past epically failed advertising efforts show, Microsoft might be about to waste a lotta money:
Two years on from taking over Old Billy Gates’s role, and Steve Ballmer’s not doing too badly. WP7 has got people excited, and Windows 7 is actually being used. Yet, he got half the usual bonus last year.
Apparently the Microsoft Kin has received a little Twitter update, but it’s still not perfect:
