Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas is a known champion of technology and an early investor in Beats by Dr. Dre. Now he is one of the first celebrities to jump into the wearable market with Puls, a device he refers to as a “smartcuff” for “communication and socialization.”

Puls was introduced this week at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, following two and a half years of development via Will.i.am’s company i.am+, which employs 50 people, about 30 or whom are engineers.

Unlike smartwatches from Apple, Samsung or event Intel – where Will.i.am served as director of creative innovation a few years ago – Puls does not depend on a smartphone to operate, according to a report in the New York Times. It carries a SIM card and can stream radio and music, as well as make calls, send text messages and post to social media.

The Puls, which resembles Samsung Gear and Mica by Intel, will come in a colored plastic version and a gold and diamond version. Pricing has yet to be announced, although Will.i.am said he aimed to have it at retail locations including AT&T and select fashion retailers in time for the holidays.

The Black Eyed Peas leader said his new venture is “a calling and obligation,” referring to being a tech pioneer among celebrities and a role model to youth coming from impoverished backgrounds similar to his. “For three years, I’ve been going around to inner cities saying computer science is the way out,” he told the New York Times. “But people from the ‘hood have never made platforms and operating systems. This shows them someone has. It gives them a model.”

Will.i.am indicated that the Puls will be one of several wearables he plans to release, with a backpack, a jacket and shoe insole to follow.