uBirds, a company established in March 2014 in cooperation with Poznań Science and Technology Park launches Unique – a unique smart strap which turns any watch into a fully-featured smartwatch. The product was launched on September 22 and is now available on the Kickstarter platform.

The smart strap can be used with any watch. One may choose one of the three colours or use our creator to design the strap, says Paweł Karczewski. Patryk Lamprecht, the co-founder of uBirds adds: We are excited about our product being launched on Kickstarter. We hope that with the help of crowdfunding we will be able to produce our straps and transfer this innovative technology onto our wrists.

Unique is available on Kickstarter at various prices. Early-bird pledges start at $139.

Unique was created by two engineers – Paweł Karczewski and Patryk Lamprecht. The smart strap was designed for those who feel attached to their classic, often expensive, watches and who are not willing to use a high-tech smartwatch. Unique is a bit thicker than a standard strap so that it can hide its gadgetry. With Unique, you are no longer forced to choose either modern technology or a classic design.

Our leather smart strap is hand-made and equipped with various innovative functions. Our product can also be used instead of a popular wristband. Thanks to the online creator, which can be found on our website, each user can design the strap on his own by choosing the type of leather, the sewing technique, the colour of the thread, the number of loops and the type of fastening. The creator is also available as a mobile app both for iOS and Android – says Paweł Karczewski.

The electronic elements on the strap are covered by the elastic material which provides protection against moisture and ensures proper functioning of the product. Our smart strap can be used for 2-3 days with no need to recharge it.

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Key features of Unique include:

• Notifications – using the built-in strap vibration and multi-colour LED, you can receive notifications for phone calls, text messages, e-mails or calendar reminders without having to look at your phone. It is up to you which notifications will pop up on the screen.
• NFC (Near-Field Communication) – design your strap so that it meets your expectations. Use it as a business card, an electronic pass to a fitness club, office or hotel room. The programmable NFC tag enables you to configure the strap in such a way that the most frequently used tag pops up automatically.
• Activity Monitoring – a healthy lifestyle does not only get more and more popular but now it is also much easier to lead. Unique can measure steps, distance travelled, speed and calories burned. Set a fitness goal and monitor it without the need to buy additional electronic tools.
• Gesture Control – reject a call with one tap. This option will make it possible for you to reject a call without even looking at the phone.
• Loss Prevention – nowadays phones are an indispensable part of our life. Has it ever happened to you to leave your phone at home or in a car? Have you ever lost your phone? When you walk away from your phone, Unique will vibrate to let you know that you left it behind.

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uBirds is a wearable technology brand based in Warsaw. The founders of the company, Paweł Karczewski and Patryk Lamprecht, are engineers who believe that wearable technology can be both beautiful and functional. The company was established as an investment from the PSTP’s seed capital.