Best deals today, in modern time, is happening in computers, television and technology.

A new high definition video disc format now came out known as the Blu-ray where video’s played are of much higher quality than traditional DVDs. This year if you are on the look out for a Blu-ray player this is a great year to purchase one, especially with the prices and discounts available. Over at Bestbuy have some amazing deals on their Blu-ray players and also their range of Home Theatre Systems. They have some of the best brands in the market and are slashing the prices on them.

“If you’re a retailer and you see that there’s a limited demand, you are offering promotions earlier and earlier to beat your competitors to the punch,” says Jeffrey Grau, senior analyst at eMarketer. “If they are trying to condition people to spend early, then later on in the season it can bite back because they were successful early on and now there is less money to spend.”

Sales are up to 16% over Cyber Monday online sales last year, and when you look through the online deals set on the retailer’s websites there is no wonder. This year is seeing a great season for buying big name prodcuts, and also for technology and electronics, being normally they are of the most expensive products. This year you may be shocked at how low some prices are for products such as Televisions and gaming products.

Playstations are up for grabs, with a Playstation 3 slim 120GB Console at $299.97 (at one online store,) and a Playstation 3 Console 40GB at a tiny $219.99 (at two online stores,) there is also the Playstation 3, 40GB Console with Spiderman 3 Blu-Ray disc at $219.99 (at one online store.)

The overall prognosis for this year’s Cyber Monday is very positive. Online shopping extravaganza could post sales north of $900 million. Sustaining that spending through the holidays, However, remains a significant question mark.

In another devastating economic news, big names like Caterpillar, Home Depot and Sprint Nextell have all announced early today lay-offs together totalling a staggering 35,000 jobs.

Corning has also said that it will lay-off 3,500 workers or 13% of its work force.  This week is shaping up to be another bad week for both manufacturers and workers following last Friday’s total of 70,000 job cuts.

Some industry giants like Caterpillar is laying off a total of 20,000 employees or 18% of its payroll.  Pfizer, the drug maker has announced that more than 18,000 people will lose their jobs as part of the  merger between Pfizer and Wyeth.

Europe is also reeling from the effect of the US economic crisis.  European companies like Phillips has already announced 6,000 job cuts.  ING, and insurance and banking conglomerate, says it will slash 7,000 jobs.

The wide spread job cuts have forced top and talented employees to lower their job sights.  A father of four from Texas worked as a Purchasing Manager for Verizon and was fired from his job after 28 years.  He recently turned in an application at the local Wall-Mart.

This news has put pressure on the new government of President Barak Obama.  Congress and law makers are expected to debate on his proposed $825 billion stimulus package intended to save or create millions of jobs.  Experts say that more job cuts are more likely as economist say that this is the worst recession to hit the country since the great depression.  Experts say that 3 million Americans will lose their jobs in 2009, up from the 2.6 million from last year.  The unemployment rate is expected to peak at 8.8%.

Bank of America Corp, investment-banking head Greg Fleming decides to leave, designating him as the most senior executive to leave after the bank has purchased Merrill Lynch & Co. for $24 billion last week. Sources told that Fleming tendered his resignation to the firm only days after the merger of Merrill with the Bank.

45-year-old Fleming is the present President and Chief Operating Officer since May 2007, and was the former Executive Vice President from October 2003 to May 2007, President of GMI from August 2003 to May 2007, Chief Operating Officer of the Global Investment Banking Group of GMI from January 2003 to August 2003, Co-Head of the Global Financial Institutions Group of GMI from April 2001 to August 2003, Head of the United States Financial Institutions Group of GMI from June 1999 to April 2001, and Managing Director of the Global Investment Banking Group of GMI from February 1999 to October 2003.

 Despite being the second-highest ranking executive of the firm, Fleming accepted a teaching job at Yale Law School, Charlotte, as stated in North Carolina-based Bank of America memo. In a separate statement, New Haven, Connecticut-based Yale said Fleming, who earned a law degree from the school in 1988, “will teach, write and conduct research related to the current global financial crisis.”

Fleming’s responsibilities, as told by a person familiar with the matter, shall be split among three or more executives who will report directly to former CEO John Thain.

The financial fraud known as the Madoff scandal which was operated by Bernard Madoff is proving so big causing even large charitable institutions to close since it can no longer recover. One of the most prominent philanthropies, the Picower Foundation, publicly announced last Friday its intended immediate shut down.

Picower Foundation was established in 1989 by Barbara Picower and her husband, Jeffry Picower. It is one which funds a Nurse-Family Partnership quality improvement initiative addressing the NFP site reporting-building capabilities. The assets of the foundation was managed by Madoff who was later accused for having swindled investors for $50 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme. Such act of Madoff was admitted by Barbara to have caused a devastating impact on tens and thousands of lives as well as numerous philantrhopic foundations and nonprofit organization.

The Picower Foundation was known to have given millions to the Massachussets Institute of Technology, Human Rights First and the New York Public Library. But at this point, the foundation’s grant-making shall cease effective immediately as stated by Barbara Picower.

The foundation is said to be closing its doors in the next couple of months.

Amanda Ray Beard, born October 29, 1981 in Newport Beach, California, is an Olympic-level swimmer. She is also a model from the United States of America. Amanda Beard participated in several Summer Olympic where she was able to take home a total of seven (7) medals, the most recent of which was in 2004.

Just last Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against ProSun, a tanning salon company, for having posted her swimmer’s picture on its website without her consent. Such report came out first in TMZ.com website stating therein that the spokesman of ProSun claimed that the company took the photos of Beard in question during a charity event and that the company has the right to use them as it wishes. The posting in the company’s website was intended “to create the immpression that Beard endorses ProSun products.

The multiple Olympic gold medalist is actually asking for more than $25,000.00 in monetary and punitive damages from ProSun.