bursted

Pantech's Burst and Element will be getting the Ice Cream Sandwich treatment starting today.

Both phones can be upgraded to Android 4.0, AT&T said in a blog post published today. The update brings the phones to the second latest version of Android, behind Jelly Bean, or Android 4.1.

To download the update for the Burst, go here. To download the update to the Element, go here.

The two Pantech phones are mass market smartphones and part of AT&T's strategy to widen its smartphone base with more attractive pricing.

Looks like the HTC Vivid isn't the only AT&T phone getting the Ice Cream Sandwich treatment.

The carrier announced today a number of other devices that will be eligible for the Android 4.0 update in the next few months.

These handsets include: the LG Nitro, Motorola Atrix 2, Motorola Atrix 4G, Pantech Burst, Pantech Element, Samsung Captivate Glide, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9.

Again, it will be a couple of months until the update rolls out, but we're excited. As hot as … Read more

When the top-tier everything-smartphones cost between $200 and $300, I can't blame you for dubiously eying a $50 phone. However, if your budget is top of mind, and Android is where your heart lies, then do yourself a favor and check out the Pantech Burst.

Why? It has 4G LTE, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a (good) 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Poorer call quality and battery life are the price trade-offs, but if you can live with that, you'll find in the Burst a Gingerbread device that pretty much does it … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Smartphones aren't really a dime a dozen. Most of them are more like several hundred dollars for one.

That's why I'm so pleased with the Burst, Pantech's new LTE smartphone for AT&T. The phone is perfect for those who want a quality product, but may not have as many dollars to spare.

The Burst will be available January 22, and with a two-year contract, it will cost $49.99. If you buy it bundled with Pantech's waterproof tablet, the Pantech Element, you can get both for about $250.

Although $49.99 is … Read more

Bubble TapTap Free is one of numerous free, ad-supported apps in which you pop virtual bubble wrap, in a game that tries to simulate the visceral thrill of mashing that time-honored packing material.

The interface is simple: 40 bubbles, arrayed realistically in staggered rows, which you tap to audibly pop. The bubbles regenerate after a few seconds, letting you go back and pop as many as you can while a one-minute timer ticks off the seconds. The game also gives you a bonus for popping bubbles in quick succession, briefly showing you the number of bubbles chained together as you … Read more

Video search engine Blinkx has agreed to acquire online advertising company Burst Media, the firms announced today.

Under the terms of the deal, Blinkx will pay Burst $30 million in stock and cash, the company said. In addition, Burst's senior management, including its co-founder and CEO Jarvis Coffin and co-founder David Stein, will stay on in a temporary role to aid in the transition.

Over the last several years, Burst, which provides online video advertising solutions to Web publishers, has been generating sizable revenue. According to Blinkx, Burst generated $37.7 million in revenue last year, up from the $… Read more

A month ago, it appeared that Blogetery.com, a blog platform that claims more than 70,000 publications, would never be heard from again.

The service was shut down last month by its Web host after FBI agents alleged the terrorist group al-Qaeda was using the platform to distribute recruiting materials, bomb-making tips, and the names of people targeted by the organization for assassination.

This wasn't enough to spook Alexander Yusupov, Blogetery's operator into giving up on the service. Against all the odds, the Toronto resident brought Blogetery back.

Burst.net, the company that provided Web access for … Read more

Blogetery.com's bloggers will get their information back.

That's the word from Joe Marr, chief technology officer of Burst.net, a Scranton, Pa.-based Web hosting service. Burst.net abruptly pulled Blogetery.com offline on July after FBI agents alleged the blogging platform was used by al-Qaeda operatives to distribute recruiting materials and to offer bomb-making tips.

Marr said in a phone interview Friday that his company intends to transfer a "zipped up" copy of Blogetery's records to another server that the service's owner has with Burst.net. Marr said the al-Qaeda materials and … Read more