STEVE INSKEEP, Host: NPR's business news starts with a Hewlett-Packard acquisition.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: We also have word of a potential merger this morning. The boards of United and Continental Airlines met yesterday, to discuss combining operations. Various media outlets say these talks could result in an announcement later this week. A combination of United and Continental would create the largest airline in the world.
Hewlett Packard has agreed to buy the struggling smartphone maker Palm for about $1 billion. Palm was an early pioneer of mobile devices, but its Palm Pilots — and the Palm brand — have been eclipsed by Apple's iPhone, BlackBerries and other mobile devices. Meanwhile, there are reports that Continental Airlines and United Airlines are discussing a merger.