Adoption of carton-level tagging - using temperature-sensing RFID for pharmaceuticals - could be nearing an inflection point, as was seen recently with item-level tagging in apparel. But tracking temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals is very different from tracking apparel.

Although the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been in effect for 35 years as of Dec. 19, many companies still have a long way to go in complying with it. Indeed, 44.6 percent of professionals say either that their companies are not making improvements to prevent and detect corrupt activity or that they don't know if their company is doing so, according to a survey by Deloitte.

Africa is becoming more attractive to manufacturers and other businesses, but the 2012 BCG e-Intensity Index reveals inconsistency in Africa. Governments of the countries moving up the rankings look to encourage internet use among consumers, businesses and within government itself because they recognize that it can be a powerful edge in the competitive global economy. Other countries risk falling further behind. Is the glass half empty or half full? This is the question that the results of the 2012 BCG e-Intensity Index pose to governments across Africa.

Late next year, consumers will be able to buy smartphones that either come with native "hypervisor" software or use an app allowing them to run two interfaces on the phone: one for personal use, one for work.

The shift by manufacturers from offshore locations in Asia back to the U.S., Mexico and other parts of the western hemisphere is more than anecdotal, says David Kilzer, senior vice president of supply chain solutions with Idhasoft. He outlines the factors that are causing companies to rethink their supply networks.

The discussion of American manufacturing is often a muddled one, steeped in nostalgia for a bygone era and accompanied by a certain misty-eyed conviction that it is a sector in ceaseless decline. A new study from the McKinsey Global Institute adds some welcome clarity. In 184 pages, the global consulting giant presents a picture of manufacturing as among the most dynamic sectors of the U.S. and global economies, driving higher productivity and standards of living. But it also shows that what we usually think of as a traditional manufacturing job isn't coming back.

Two technology development streams are converging toward a point that makes fuel cells attractive as a power source for marine propulsion. They are the growing adoption of hybrid-electric powertrain systems and the projected growth in the number of vessels burning LNG as fuel.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is top of mind for most CIOs and IT leaders these days, but only a fraction of the IT organizations that have opened the BYOD door have gone beyond allowing access to company email and instant messaging, according to a recent study by Blue Coat, Web security and WAN optimization company. Blue Coat also found that IT staff and other company employees have dramatically different perspectives on security when it comes to mobile devices.