That's also my direction of thought, Bearb8. I can make up the following possible explanations for the ads:

1. The ads didn't have any specific purpose, but where just a trial balloon.
2. They intended to follow up with something, but some problems got in the way and delayed everything. Could be the sputter machine, could be something else.
3. They intended to follow up with something, but something incredibly beneficial got in the way and inhibited the originally planned follow-up for some reason, e.g. a request for secrecy by a (possible) partner. This would also explain the abrupt, but #exciting BNN cancellation.

Any more conspiracy theories? ;-)