The age of wearable computing begins

The smartwatch race is heating up and Samsung Electronics will be first to market with the release of the Galaxy Gear in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 4, two days ahead of the official opening of this year’s IFA consumer electronics fair, according to a senior company executive. Designed to work in concert with the mobile phone in your pocket, this smartwatch will put emails, phone call prompts and other information right on your wrist. It will run on Android software and invite developers to create new apps that will work seamlessly on it. Welcome to the Next Big Thing.