A corporate tax break for buyers of computers, engines and other equipment is proving surprisingly popular, depriving the federal government of tens of billions of dollars in expected revenue and increasing the amount it will need to borrow this year. But there may be a silver lining. The tax break aims to stimulate investment, and it seems to be working.

Before the Stamford Innovation Center even opens, it has already lured one entrepreneur from out of state whose fledgling business might soon contribute to Connecticut's economy. As the center prepares to open in a few weeks, Gov.Dannel P. Malloyon Thursday joined Stamford's mayor, a Sikorsky executive, and the innovation center's staff to celebrate its launch.

Now that Facebook is fast on its way to becoming a public company, and its financials have been laid bare, there’s just one question that remains unanswered: What is Facebook actually worth?

You may have a better chance of losing your job working for a big company. Maybe the most important point about entrepreneurship is that people who start or join new companies tend to actually like what they are doing.

Facebook is friending the feds. The company has put political veterans in key executive roles and board positions. It’s also quickly built up a powerhouse Washington lobbying operation and established a political action committee to make it easy for employees to donate to candidates.

Patrick Salyer doesn't work at Facebook. He doesn't own any of its stock. But he's one of thousands of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and around the world who stand to make a lot of money when the Menlo Park social network goes public later this year. Salyer, 30, is chief executive of Gigya, a Palo Alto startup that helps clients such as Nike and Home Depot reach customers via their Facebook accounts.