tv + media

short circuits

New and noteworthy experiences among DVDs, video games, gadgets and the Web.

DVD

In this not-as-bad-as-you-think-it-is romantic comedy "The Back-up Plan," Jennifer Lopez plays pregnant Zoe, a pet-shop owner knocked up by her gynecologist and a baster full of donor sperm. "This isn't about a guy," she declares early in the movie, asserting her pride in choosing single motherhood -- but, of course, it's a movie, so it is about a guy: Stan (Alex O'Loughlin). Zoe and Stan meet in a cab on the Upper West Side and soon begin to fall for each other. But Zoe, who'd just given up the search for Mr. Right, has to decide whether to stick to her back-up plan -- single motherhood and career -- or take a chance on telling her new beau exactly why it is she's glowing. The DVD and Blu-ray (Sony, $29-$35) include deleted scenes.

WASHINGTON POST

Out Tuesday: "Abandoned," "The Bad Mother's Handbook," "City Island," "Dorian Gray," "Gossip Girl" (Season 3), "Lost" (Season 6), "NCIS" (Season 7), "The Patty Duke Show" (Season 3), "The Simpsons" (Season 13), "The Square," "Survival of the Dead," and Blu-rays of "Mona Lisa," "Shogun Assassin" and "Time Bandits."

GAME

Stunning though today's games are, there might be no better demonstration of gaming's rapid technological growth than the ability to open a Web browser and play something that brought computers to their knees barely 10 years ago. But that's what "Quake Live" (free for basic account, $24-$48 a year for premium and pro accounts; rated Teen) does: It takes the underpinnings of "Quake III: Arena," builds a persistent community and modern interface around it, and, at its base level, gives the thing away to anybody willing to set up an account and download the plug-in needed to make it run. The game looks predictably dated, but it hardly matters given how smoothly and quickly it runs, and the essence that drove "Arena" in 1999 -- fast, trigger-happy action and lots of weapons, maps and customizable modes to keep players engaged -- still burns bright today. Perhaps most pleasantly surprising is a suite of tutorials and practice arenas that allow nervous newbies to practice against A.I. opponents, making "Live" as inviting to try out as it is easy to set up.

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE

APP

Much of the early fanfare surrounding the iPad tablet computer was its expected revolution of the publishing industry. That has not come to pass, as many top magazines have launched apps that are largely digital replications of print versions. But now we have Flipboard (free via iTunes Store), a sophisticated RSS reader that automatically fills itself from links shared by your friends on Facebook and Twitter -- communities of people you trust. It is truly the magazine of the future, a completely social experience that shines on a device like the iPad as you flip pages from story to story.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

WEB

Q I often shop at the same websites. Should I save my payment information for future purchases?

A It is probably not a good idea to save your payment information for future purchases online. You have probably heard about data breaches where thieves steal millions of credit card records, even from big-name companies. Any site where you store your credit card information will have it on its server. If it gets hacked, your information could be compromised.

JUSTASKGEMALTO.COM