The AccellosOne warehouse management system (WMS) from HighJump now features expanded electronic-commerce functionality.

Dematic, a supplier of automated technology, software and services for logistics and material handling for e-commerce, apparel, retail and general-merchandise supply chains, has agreed to acquire Reddwerks Corp., a vendor of warehouse execution software.

Ceva Logistics has opened a new headquarters for South America in São Paulo, Brazil.

JLT Mobile Computers has enhanced its VERSO+ 10 rugged computer with a new cradle optimized for logistics markets, including warehousing and transportation.

Panasonic has created what it says is the world's first fully rugged detachable laptop.

SAP SE has devised new capabilities for workforce management. It has integrated the products of SuccessFactors, a developer of cloud-based human capital-management applications, and Fieldglass, a provider of vendor-management system software.

With robots like BigDog and the Terminator-like Atlas, Google's robotics efforts have been a smash success - if you measure by YouTube views and buzz. Amazon's work has been more behind scenes (apart from the widely discussed plans for delivery drones). But Amazon's energies in robotics have also had a more immediate payoff than Google's "moonshots." The differing philosophies illustrate how Amazon and Google have taken starkly different paths so far in the race to automate the physical world.