A study released by the University of Maryland Business School reports a surprising impact Facebook applications have had on job creation and the US economy.

The report released states Facebook applications have created over 182,000 jobs while generating more than $12 billion in wages and benefits in the US economy.

“Our findings confirm that social media platforms have created a thriving new industry,” Professor Il- Horn Hann of the University of Maryland said. “As Facebook and other platforms grow, we will continue to see job growth and the ripple effects of these advances in the U.S. economy.”

One Facebook app success story, Zynga, the maker of the popular Facebook game Farmville, has more than 2,000 employees and an estimated value of over $15 billion.

To read more about Facebook’s impact on job creation, click here.

• FTC proposes new children’s online privacy rule – http://ow.ly/6vDVZ #
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The White House announced Monday that it has joined Foursquare, adding to the growing list of social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin  the White House already utilizes.

By Tuesday afternoon the President’s account had 13,000 followers. The White House intends to use the account to document President Obama’s world travels and will also let followers check-in to White House events including town halls and speeches

For read more on where President Obama is checking into, click here.

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• Today is the one year anniversary of the implementation of the e-cycle program. Find out more about the program http://ow.ly/6i6DU #
• Wisconsin Internet speeds vary widely – http://ow.ly/6hGWJ #
• Paving the road to progress – http://ow.ly/6hGUv #
• Wednesday is latest deadline for no-call list – http://ow.ly/6gAri #