When Rock Stars Market Tech: Will.i.am Thinks His Puls Smart Wristband Brings The Boom, Boom Pow
Founding member of The Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am has been a rapper, singer, singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer among other things. But his latest appearance on stage at Dreamforce in San Francisco wasn’t for a musical performance, but to unveil a new device called the Puls.
The Puls is a smart “cuff” that Will.i.am has been working on with his consumer electronics company i.am+. It is a wearable wristband that displays the time, but, according to the Black Eyed Peas singer, is “not a watch.” The new device is voice-controlled, can make phones calls, and access online services by using a 3G radio without the aid of a smartphone.
In addition, the wearable wristband also comes with its own voice-enabled personal assistant called AneedA. Similar to Microsoft’s Cortana and Apple’s Siri, AneedA was designed by Nuance, which is the same company that is behind Siri. AneedA will be able to recognize voice commands for dictating texts, creating calendar events, making phone calls, sending tweets, and playing music.
As for the Puls’ battery life, no information was provided. However, during the presentation, models were brought out wearing clothing that contained battery packs that could transfer power to the Puls so long as it remained in contact with the sleeve. According to Will.i.am, one of the jackets worn would be capable of powering the watch for two and a half days.
The Puls is a smart “cuff” that Will.i.am has been working on with his consumer electronics company i.am+. It is a wearable wristband that displays the time, but, according to the Black Eyed Peas singer, is “not a watch.” The new device is voice-controlled, can make phones calls, and access online services by using a 3G radio without the aid of a smartphone.
In addition, the wearable wristband also comes with its own voice-enabled personal assistant called AneedA. Similar to Microsoft’s Cortana and Apple’s Siri, AneedA was designed by Nuance, which is the same company that is behind Siri. AneedA will be able to recognize voice commands for dictating texts, creating calendar events, making phone calls, sending tweets, and playing music.
As for the Puls’ battery life, no information was provided. However, during the presentation, models were brought out wearing clothing that contained battery packs that could transfer power to the Puls so long as it remained in contact with the sleeve. According to Will.i.am, one of the jackets worn would be capable of powering the watch for two and a half days.
While no price was forthcoming during the presentation, the Puls is expected to be released sometime during the holiday season, for AT&T in the United States and O2 in the United Kingdom, and will be available in black, white, pink, and blue. For those who prefer that their devices have a little more bling, there will also be a solid-gold Puls and one decked out with gold and diamonds.
