Short Reports

Quarterly profits topped forecasts at Palm Inc., fueled by strong demand for the new entrylevel version of its handheld computer and new revenues from licensing its operating system to rival device makers.

Volvo will launch its new S60 sedan online rather than on television to avoid high advertising costs during the run-up to the November presidential election. Volvo, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Co., struck a deal with Internet service provider America Online Inc., which has an estimated 24 million subscribers. The deal with AOL is unique in the auto industry because carmakers rely heavily on television to whet consumers’ appetites for new models.