If there’s one thing the internet has brought us, it’s a giant, 24/7, international shopping plaza. Sod the academic motives of Tim Berners-Lee in the late 1980s and enter a 365 day shopping bonanza where you can buy everything from your favourite pen to ex-Royal Navy flagships.

There’s one day in particular that US online retailers revere more than any: that’s today, Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving has traditionally been the start of the Christmas season and attempts to spur sales through pretty attractive discounts. Town centres and online servers suffer as the mayhem ensues…

On this side of the pond few shops have cottoned on to Black Friday (and why should they? Our retailers appear to start the Christmas season in September…), but the beauty of the internet means we get to enjoy some of the online deals the US does.

I’m going to list some of the cool software and hardware I find during the day which are discounted. No, this is not a definitive list, but rather just software I would recommend to people

Hardware

- Apple have a big sale on today. You’re looking at 5%-20% off most Apple branded hardware (iPad, iPods, MacBooks, iMacs) and accessories (Time Capsules, Magic Trackpads, etc) and even bigger discounts on third-party accessories. Check the deals out here. [Added 10:00]

- Bluetooth speakers Jawbone JAMBOX on the Apple Store. Save £36. I want. [Added 10:00]

Software

- Mac software developers equinux have slashed prices in half. Online Store. [Added 10:00]

- I couldn’t live without 1Password. 50% off today. MAS. [Added 10:00]

- Venerable FTP client, Flow, has 80% off this week. MAS. [Added 10:00]

- Jumsoft have 50% off, including Money 4. MAS or Online Store. [Added 10:00]

- Stop sulking when you open Geekbench. 64bit version for £5.49. MAS. [Added 10:20]

- Plaintext calculator Soulver is half price. Me like. MAS. [Added 10:20]

- If you’re a wannabe chef, you’ll love YummySoup. 75% off today! MAS. [Added 10:20]

- Parallels has 25% off until 30th November. Online Store. [Added 16:00]

- djay, the ultimate iPad scratching deck, less than half price. Online Store. [Added 16:00]

- All of the LEGO Games are on offer, including the new Star Wars III. MAS. [Added 16:00]

Like I said, the above are just deals for software I know and use and would recommend. If you are looking for something more detailed, check out MacStories.