Short Circuits: Jack Benny on video, iPad malware, stainless-steel 'ice cubes'

Newly restored from the celebrated comic's '50s-'60s run, the 18 rare kinescopes (black-and-white copies filmed off a TV monitor) that make up "The Jack Benny Program: Lost Episodes" (Shout Factory, $30) spotlight the free-form surreality of Benny's "real life" plots, presaging modern sitcom madness from Garry Shandling and Larry David.

Showbiz "pals" seen in the episodes include George Burns, Milton Berle, Dick Van Dyke, John Wayne, Rock Hudson, interrogator Mike Wallace, evangelist Billy Graham and former President Harry Truman.

Bonus footage spans radio-era newsreels and outtakes, bits from Benny's '70s color specials, lengthy new discussions among Benny co-workers (including Harry Shearer as a child actor) and an info-packed 16-page booklet. Fans who buy the set via www.shoutfactory.com get a bonus disc: Benny's live "Omnibus" broadcast of "The Horn Blows at Midnight."

Newsday

Also out Tuesday

Movies: "Ginger & Rosa," "Kiss of the Damned," "Love and Honor," "New World," "Starbuck," "Trance," "Twixt," "Vehicle 19," "The Wedding Chapel," "Welcome to the Punch."

TV: "Duck Dodgers: Deep Space Duck" (Season 2), "How the States Got Their Shapes" (Season 2), "Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXVII," "Super Friends: A Dangerous Fate" (Season 5), "Superjail" (Season 3).

Q: Is the iPad susceptible to viruses and malware?

A: The iPad, which runs on the same operating system as the iPhone, uses Wi-Fi, 3G or LTE mobile data connections to browse the Internet, load and stream media, and install software.

Unfortunately, whenever you are connected to the Internet, you are susceptible to viruses and malware. To stay safe with the iPad, as with any mobile device that connects to the Internet, don't install any programs you aren't familiar with or click on any strange links. If you are worried, install anti-virus software, which recently was made available for the iPad.

The iTunes app store also automatically provides protection against downloading rogue applications. In order for an app to be placed in the iTunes store, it must first be submitted for review by Apple. However, it's still possible for apps with viruses or malware to be allowed into the iTunes store without being caught, so be sure to read reviews before downloading.

Just Ask Gemalto

The Pucs (set of three, $20, or six, $30; www.onehundred.co) are precision-machined from solid stainless steel, will not add or subtract from the flavor of your drink in any way, will not absorb smells or flavors from your freezer and will not degrade or dissolve, according to the company.

McClatchy News Service