Will.i.am unveils new Puls wearable technology

Don't call it a smart watch - not unless you want Will.i.am to give you a talking to.

The former frontman for the Black Eyed Peas unveiled the new piece of wearable tech that's more akin to a wristband than anything else. In lieu of calling it a 'smart cuff, ' Will.i.am referred to it as a communication and socialization device.

The Puls, however it's referred to, offers a unique approach to wearable smart technology in that it features the same fully-integrated tech a smart phone would carry. The wristband-like device has its own Sim card, is able to place and take phone calls without being tethered to a phone, and offers other standard abilities such as posting to Twitter and Instragram or streaming music.

The musician and impresario revealed the Puls at the recent Dreamforce event in San Francisco this past week. However, he wasn't there as merely a celebrity endorser - the Puls is his product. His company, known as i.am+, has been developing the device over the last two and a half years. There are around 50 people employed by the company, with 30 of them being engineers, and Will.i.am says that the project represents his largest investment by a wide margin. For a man who helped to found audio tech giant Beats by Dre, this represents a massive investment indeed.

The Puls is likely to carry a hefty price tag, though Will.i.am has been loath to provide an actual price or even an on-sale date for his new device. However, the musician did go on record that the entry-level Puls will be less expensive than a smart phone. The more expensive version of the device, which will feature a wristband studded in diamond and gold, is likely not going to be offered at a low price point.

Will.i.am says he has no worries about not being taken seriously because he's just another rock star meddling in thing he supposedly knows nothing about. He insists that with his direct involvement in the design of the Puls, he's not just another celebrity asked to endorse a product for a large cash payment. Instead, Will.i.am insists the Puls itself is the rock star - and he's looking forward to bringing more wearable tech to the marketplace to work together with the Puls.