SAN FRANCISCO - A COMPUTER game set to hit US stores the day Barack Obama is sworn in as president challenges players to see whether they can do a better job running the country than he can.

Interactive Gaming Software said on Monday it will make 'Commander in Chief' available on Jan 20, the day of Mr Obama's inauguration.

TOKYO - BETTER Place, a US company that promotes electric vehicles, said on Tuesday it will build battery exchange stations in Japan as part of a government pilot project to encourage the use of green cars.

Electric vehicles are drawing global attention because they produce no polluting emissions and don't need gasoline. But electric vehicles must be recharged when their batteries run low.

SAN FRANCISCO - THE Internet on Monday was abuzz with word that US retail king Wal-Mart will add iPhone mobile devices to its shelves of bargains by year's end, perhaps at prices as low as 99 dollars each.

Wal-Mart and notoriously tight-lipped Apple executives declined to comment on 'rumour and speculation' but employees at various stores throughout the United States made it clear they expect iPhones in stock within weeks.