A new generation of robots is on the way - smarter, more mobile, more collaborative and more adaptable. They promise to bring major changes to the factory floor, as well as potentially to the global competitive landscape.

RadioShack has struck a deal with a coalition of 38 state attorneys general to destroy most of the company's consumer data, stipulating that no credit or debit card account numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth or even phone numbers would be transferred.

For the past seven years, Carlo K. Nizam has been the head of Airbus Group's Value Chain Visibility and RFID program. He has led the effort to use radio frequency identification, as well as what the company refers to as "Intranet of Things" technologies, to track aircraft parts, logistics containers, tools, jigs, subassemblies and other critical assets.

Retailers and their suppliers are under more pressure than ever before to deliver more goods to more destinations faster. To stay competitive, "retailers need to know where things are at all times so they can redirect shipments, rebalance inventories and respond to new demands on the fly," says Rich Becks, general manager, Industry Value Chains, E2open, which delivers cloud-based supply chain collaboration solutions.