In Brief

By Anamaria Wilson

PALM PIVOT

The tech-stock frenzy took a new twist last week with the IPO of Palm Inc. On the first day of trading, the PDA division of 3Com Corp. became more valuable ($53 billion) than its parent company ($28 billion), even though 3Com still owns 94% of Palm's stock. If you got in late, you got hurt. Palm fell 16% on Friday, to $80.25. 3Com, after falling 21% on Thursday, closed the week at $83.06. This week the arbs move in. Careful.

EASIER EBAY

Users of the popular auction site will have another way to make transactions. eBay and Wells Fargo are rolling out Billpoint, a service that allows sellers to accept credit cards without establishing merchant accounts. Instead of waiting to receive a check or money order, sellers will get immediate payment to their checking account once the buyer inputs his or her credit-card data. After the first three months, sellers using Billpoint will pay 3.5% of the purchase amount plus 35[cents]. Sales under $10 will get off a little easier and cost only 35[cents].

E-TRADING STAMPS

You may remember S&H Green Stamps from your youth or from Andy Warhol's tribute to them. Now the stamps are being reborn on the Web--of course, at greenpoints.com You can get points by shopping at authorized sites such as Borders.com SmarterKids.com or JCPenney. You get 3,000 points upon enrolling, and 20 more currently for every dollar you spend. That gas grill you've always dreamed of can be yours for just 124,800 Greenpoints. At least there's no licking required.

--By Anamaria Wilson