Amazon kickstarts its Black Friday deals: first list of its big deals

Amazon has launched new deals on its Black Friday site including phones for pennies and a $200 PS3.

Black Friday used to be a day, but now it’s more of a week-long affair with low prices. To get a kickstart on the crazy week ahead, Amazon has issued a list of some of its new deals on its fancy Black Friday site. Some highlights include a PS3 for $200, Lord of the Rings on Blu-ray for $50, and almost all smartphones for pennies with a new contract. 

Amazon’s newest Black Friday deals: 

• Samsung 46-Inch 1080p LED HDTV: $799.99 (save $500)
• Nikon Coolpix P7000 Digital Camera: $249 (save $250)
• Canon PowerShot SX230HS Digital Camera: $199 (save $150)
• All phones from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon on sale for a penny at AmazonWireless (new activations only, two-year contract required)
• PlayStation 3 160GB Bundle w/ two free games (Rachet & Clank: All 4 One and LittleBigPlanet 2): $199 (save $150)
• Toshiba Satellite 14” laptop: $599.99 (save $150)
• TomTom XXL 5-Inch GPS: $99.99 (save $99)
• Samsung BD-D5700 Blu-ray Disc Player: $99.99 (save $80)
• AK Anne Klein Swarovski Crystal Accented Rose Gold-Tone Leather Watch:$29.99 (save $95)
• Save up to 60% off outerwear for Women, Men, Kids and Baby
• White Gold Princess Cut Diamond Earrings: $299.99 (save $399)
• Save up to $170 on Dyson vacuums
• Bodum Bistro Electric French Press Coffee Maker and Tea Dripper, Red:$49.99 (save $43)
• Wusthof Le Cordon Bleu 8-Inch Cook’s Knife: $89.99 (save $60)
• Save 40% off select boots and slippers
• “Bridesmaids” (DVD): $5.99 (save $23)
• “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy (Blu-ray): $49.99 (save $69.99)
• Schwinn Jasmine Girls’ Bike, Light Blue: $69.99 (save $70)
• Save up to 40% on select Angry Birds plush toys
• Save up to 50% on select LeapFrog electronic toys
• Popular album titles including “Watch the Throne” by Kanye West and Jay-Z, “Torches” by Foster the People and “Hands All Over” by Maroon 5 (MP3 Downloads): $4.99

Of course, it’s sometimes hard to see a bargain from a ripoff, so make sure to check the specs of things like PCs and figure out what the regular price is before hauling off and buying something. For example, if you look into the Lord of the Rings Blu-ray deal, you’ll see it’s an especially good offer since it is, indeed, the special Extended Edition of the series. 

Rumor: Facebook is developing an official Facebook phone named Buffy

Facebook has been working for two years on a secret Facebook phone project named Buffy. Facebook is rumored to be teaming up with HTC to be build a device with a modified version of Android to create a fully integrated Facebook experience.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be making a comeback, but as a phone instead of a TV show or movie. Today AllThingsD is reporting that Facebook has been working on an official Facebook phone code named Buffy. The social media giant is rumored to have teamed up with HTC to produce a fully integrated Facebook mobile device. If these rumors are true we shouldn’t expect to see a Facebook phone for at least 12 to 16 months.

We started hearing rumors about a Facebook phone over a year ago, which seem to be true since the Buffy project has been in production for almost two years now. We have seen phones launch in the past year with Facebook integration, and even with a dedicated Facebook button. Buffy is said to be something completely different from anything we have seen thus far.

Buffy is said to run on a modified version of Android tweaked by Facebook so that all of its services are deeply integrated into the phone. It is also said to support HTML5 as a platform for applications, which means you should be able to play all of your favorite Facebook games on the phone.

Facebook’s app is one of the most popular app on iOS, Android, Windows 7, and Blackberry but being just an app comes with restrictions. With Google able to fully integrate Google+ into Android phones, and Apple’s new partnership with Twitter it seems like Facebook needs to make its own device to stay competitive.

Over 350 million people use Facebook apps on mobile phones, and Facebook knows that the future of social networking is mobile. Is the Facebook phone going to be too little too late when it finally comes out?

Will iPad 3 and iPhone 5 be bigger than previous models?

Next models of iPad and iPhone could get a boost in size to go along with improved specs.

While the normal tendency is to make each iteration of a product slimmer, a new rumor suggests that the next generation of iPads and iPhones could actually be a step up in both specs and size.

Citing the site’s “most reliable source,” iLounge has posted some details about the next generation of iPads and iPhones that suggest both product lines will gain a little size when new models are released in 2012.

With the iPad 3, the size increase will only add about .7mm of thickness to the tablet computer. The change is necessary to support a second light bar for the higher-resolution display — rumored to be an impressive 2048 x 1536 pixels. The site indicates that that the iPad 3 could debut sometime in January for a March release.

As for the iPhone 5, the site’s source says the phone will need an extra 8mm to accommodate its new 4-inch display. Upgrades to the phone’s battery could also play into the size increase.

The report suggests that the iPhone 5 will debut sometime in the summer, and that it’s still in the engineering phase (as opposed to early production).

Inifinity Ward bans 1,600 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 cheaters

If you cheat at Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 then you better stop. Infinity Ward has already banned 1,600 and will continue to ban those who hack, cheat, or use glitches as an unfair advantage.

If you think you keep dying in Call of Duty: MW3 because everyone else cheats, and not because you aren’t any good, then we have some good news for you. Infinity Ward announced via Twitter that it has started to ban cheaters from Modern Warfare 3. The ban is focusing on people who attempt to hack, cheap, or exploit glitches in multiplayer matches.

Infinity Ward says the best way for honest players to keep people from cheating is to report people they believe to be cheating. To report someone you can use the post-match report function and let them know what happened. Infinity Ward will then verify your report with in-game stats and video from the match in question.

When asked who will be banned and how long the bans will be Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward creative strategist, said via Twitter, “Every ban unique to the level of douchiness of the offense. The greater the douche the greater the length. PermaDouche possible.” While the language in the Tweet might not be overly enlightening for some people, but for players who have been victim to cheaters it most likely sums up how they feel about these people.

As of right now around 1,600 people have been banned so far, but expect more bans in the future. Seeing as MW3 almost made a billion dollars after only five days on the market that there are probably several more people who will continue to cheat. If you are cheating stop, and if you aren’t cheating Infinity Ward did not explain how people are cheating so you can’t try to copy them.