*** 2nd Production Run Update ***

...2nd Production Run Update...

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

Hello BulletTrain customers and supporters!

We are pleased to report BulletTrain has shipped out all orders through the second production run! Additionally, all new orders for in-stock items are shipping real-time. We are VERY excited to get the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet into your hands and pockets, and we genuinely thank you for your patience and support!

We recently discovered a new challenge occurring in a small number of Series 1 BulletTrain SAFE Wallets for iPhone 5/5s.  Users have reported soft-touch paint to have a “peeling” or “cracking” appearance. This discovery shocked us, and caught us off-guard, as we conducted a great deal of testing and implemented quality-control measures to ensure the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet was 100% BulletProof.

We moved heaven and earth to resolve the material challenges from the first production run, and we were shocked and terribly embarrassed to learn of continued challenges with the SAFE Wallet’s second production run. Our research thus far points toward the new paint factory not following our quality control guidelines, resulting in a small number of customers experiencing the challenges noted above.

In light of the above-mentioned issue, we made a decision to halt production of the Series 1 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s. If and when we are 100% confident we can deliver a perfect product, we will relaunch the Series 1 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.

Customers who have pre-ordered a Series 1 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s on Backorder will be contacted for replacement units from our Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s line, which customers have had  ZERO challenges with!

For any customers who may be affected by a challenge like this, please contact Support@BulletTrain.com with your order information and a photo of your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet. Affected customers will have the option to receive a Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet free of charge.

Again, we offer our sincerest apologies, and assure you we are 100% determined to deliver completely BulletProof products to our customers!!!

Thank you,

-Alex Davie

Support@BulletTrain.com

Celebrating The 30th Anniversary Of The Mac

Celebrating The 30th Anniversary Of The Mac

When I was 17 years old, in 1984, I purchased the original Mac the first day it was available on January 24, 1984. At the time there was nothing like it. Kind of like the first iPhone or iPad. I first learned about the Mac from an Apple employee many months before it was originally announced. I was skiing up at Squaw Valley, and one night I was talking with a Apple employee, and I mentioned how I couldn't understand the lack of innovation at Apple. 

He said, just wait, and soon Apple with introduce an all new computer that will change the world. I asked him for details and he told me the new Apple would have this really cool pointing device named a "Mouse" and that it was so small, it was transportable, meaning you could easily pick it up by its handle and move it to another room. 

Here is the video of Steve Jobs introducing the Mac in late 1983:

After learning about the new Apple Mac introduction, I went to Compuland in Mill Valley and pre-ordered the new Mac. I paid $2500 for the Mac, and I also ordered an Apple dot matrix printer to go with it, which I believe cost an additional $595. 

Thirty years ago today, I cut 5th period at Redwood High School, and drove to Compuland in Mill Valley, and waited for the UPS driver to show-up with my Mac. I remember bringing it home to our place in Sausalito, California and unboxing it. I set it up, and started rocking out with MacPaint, which was like a black and white Photoshop. Just to be crystal-clear, I was one of the first people on earth outside of Apple to get a hold of a Mac, on January 24, 1984.  Today it is common for people to wait in line, sometimes for days, before a product launch, to ensure they are some of the first on earth to experience the new Apple tech. In 1984, this was not the case. It was for me, but I was a bizarre exception to what know is the rule.

How do you explain the fact that today, people get so excited about new Apple tech, and in 1984 they did not, nearly as much? Because 1984 was the beginning of these machines that would allow people to dream with their eyes open. I believe Mac's and iPads and iPhones are more popular today than ever, because mankind is now addicted to growing intellectually, and these new tools allow just that. In other words, with these new tools you can answer any question almost instantly. Just for frame of reference, I remember a time, less than 20 years ago, where it was typical for me to come up with a question about the world, and often times it would go unanswered for months. Today, with an iPhone and Google, I can typically separate the fact from the fiction in a matter of minutes if not seconds.

It is amazing how far Apple and Mac's have come since then. It is especially incredible to consider how much more powerful a current iPhone 5s or iPad is compared to the original Mac. I hope to be around 20 year from today, and 30 years from today to celebrate the 50th and 60th anniversary of the Mac, and I can only imagine what they will be like.

The original Apple Computer commercial originally aired on Superbowl Sunday on January 22, 1984. The Eighties were a great time!

Here's To The Crazy Ones

With Steve Jobs Narrating

Here is a rare video of The Original 1997 Apple Think Different Video, but with Steve Jobs narrating.

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them. But the one thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." –Apple

Steve Balmer & Bill Gates Dr. Evil & Austin Power

Steve Balmer & Bill Gates Dr. Evil & Austin Power
This Might Explain Why Microsoft Has Been Imploding On Itself For The Past 20 Years

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Compatible Holster

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

Compatible Holster

Many customers have written in and asked if we plan to come out with a Holster for the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, and while we have no immediate plans to do so, we may in the future. In the meantime, a customer wrote in and said he purchased this one that works well with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s, and only costs $6.99 on Amazon.

Update from Jake on March 19, 2014: I purchased one of these smartphone holsters, and tried using it with my BulletTrain SAFE Wallet. I found the holster to fit way too tightly around the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, thus making it difficult to infall and remove. We are working on a super-state of the art solution that will be much better than this, and when we have it ready for market we will launch it on BulletTrain.com.

GoPro: HERO3+ Black Edition: Smaller, lighter, mightier still.

Seriously Wow!!!
Click the play button, make sure you are in full screen mode, and set the video to 1080P. This is mind-blowingly beautiful!!!

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Competitive Analysis

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet 

Competitive Analysis

Hundreds of companies have tried, and continue to try to deliver on the promise of successfully converging a wallet and an iPhone/smartphone, and the general consensus is they have all failed miserably, with the best of them being half-baked, at best. 

As the designer of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, I genuinely believe it is the first product to not only deliver 100% on the promise of convergence, but it goes way, way beyond, by offering valuable features like having a built in MagicStand that allows it to stand-up on any flat surface, in portrait or landscape. 

Also, the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet is extremely ergonomic, and certainly the best looking, most streamlined iPhone case made. It also has an amazing capacity that can hold the thickness of 5 credit cards, not to mention an emergency cash bill and mini USB drive in the Secret Stash compartment, as well as offering superior 360 degree protection for your iPhone. All this in a super-skinny form factor that weights less than an ounce.

If you are considering investing in a wallet case for your iPhone, you deserve the best and you should make an informed decision.  I put together a Pinterest page with a Competitive Analysis which shows every wallet case I am aware of. You can check it out here.

I don't think there is another manufacturer on earth who would showcase their competitors products on their website, unless they were 1000% certain their product was light years beyond the competition, in terms of utility, comfort, protection, looks, durability and value.

I encourage you examine all your options, so when you make your final decision, you will be able to rest assured you made the best choice. I will continue to update this Pinterest page as I discover more wallet cases, and if you are aware of one that is not on this Pinterest page, please feel free to send an email to info@BulletTrain.com, and we will add it for you.

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Review

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Video Review from Germany

The Apple iPhone 5s Camera and The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

The Apple iPhone 5s is 100% Compatible  with The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5!!!
One of the top questions I have been getting since before the introduction of the all-new Apple iPhone 5s, is wether or not our BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5 would work with and fit the iPhone 5s, and if it did not, how long would it take for us to get to market with a dedicated iPhone 5s BulletTrain SAFE Wallet?
The great news, is from Apple's detailed schematics, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s are identical in height, width and thickness. The only really difference it that the iPhone 5s ads a second flash, and that has an effect on the "KeepOut Zone" that is surrounded by the camera ring. 
We have completed our detailed analysis of the Official Apple iPhone 5s Dimensional Drawing Schematics and concluded that the camera ring on our iPhone 5 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet not only meets, but exceeds Apples published minimum requirements for the camera flash "KeepOut Zone", which means the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5 will fit and work flawlessly with the iPhone 5s!!!

Photo above shows iPhone 5s in a BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s Model
The first Official Apple iPhone schematic below is of the iPhone 5, followed by the iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c schematics. 

Official Apple iPhone 5 Dimensional Drawing Schematic Pictured Above

Official Apple iPhone 5s Dimensional Drawing Schematic Pictured Above

We plan to make a BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for the iPhone 5c after we complete and deliver the iPhone 4/4s version, which we plan to launch soon on Kickstarter.

Official Apple iPhone 5C Dimensional Drawing Schematic Pictured Above

Below, is an Official Apple iPhone 5s Camera video, which highlights many of the innovative new camera features Apple has incorporated into the iPhone 5s.

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Stealth Secret Stash Stowaway Compartment Verbatim 32GB Tuff-'N'-Tiny USB Drive

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

Stealth Secret Stash Stowaway Compartment

Verbatim 32GB Tuff-'N'-Tiny USB Drive

I originally designed the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet's Secret Stash to be able to hide away a cash bill, and in the photo below, we see $100 Bill with the addition of a Verbatim 32GB USB 2.0 SSD Drive, and yes, and as you can see, there is even room for a micro SIM card, for when you are traveling internationally. 

Customers stowaway all kinds of interesting items in their BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Secret Stash Compartment. You can even store 2 bills, folded-up origami style in it if you wish to. I actually cary the 32GB Verbatim USB Drive in mine, but unlike the photo below, I keep it and the SOM card behind the $100 Bill, so that when I remove my iPhone, the USB Drive and Sim card won't fall out easily. In other words, I keep the USB drive and SIM Card held in place behind the $100 Bill.

Verbatim 32GB Tuff 'N' Tiny USB Drive Pictured Above in Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Secret Stash

The Verbatim Tuff-'N'-Tiny USB Drive is not only really, really small, but also extremely rugged, and water-resistant. It comes with a Lifetime Warranty, and works with Macs and PCs. It is as thin as a penny, and of course it can be password protected.

I bought the Verbatim 32GB USB Drive on Amazon for under $27, and they also offer them in 16GB, 8GB and 4GB. The Verbatim Tuff 'N' Tiny is eligible for 2 day shipping using Amazon Prime.

Sneak Preview of the Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

...Sneak Preview...

Series 2

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet

Polar White with BeadBlast

Our shipper made a mistake and sent out some production prototypes to our customers of the upcoming Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, so customers have been asking me about it, and I thought I would share some photos with you. 

The Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, is very similar in many ways to the Series 1, but it lacks any Soft Touch Paint. Instead it has a BeadBlast finish on the back and the door is color coordinated with the body, so with the Polar White one below the whole thing is white with the exception of the black buttons and bumper.

I designed the whole Series 2 BulletTrain SAFE Wallet with a matte finish so it won't get scratched very easily, and will look good for a long time.

The two photos below shows a Series 1 Polar White BulletTrain SAFE Wallet  on the left side, next to the Series 2 Arctic White BulletTrain SAFE Wallet. The internal codename for the White Series 1 one at BulletTrain is "The Storm Trooper" and the Series 2 is named "The Panda."

When will the Series 2 be available? Hopefully pretty soon, like in the next several weeks. Will it come in other colors? Yes. I will initially be offered in 6 beautiful colors. Will we offer a pink one for the ladies? Yes ;-)

How The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Silent/Ring Switch Works

How The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Silent/Ring Switch Works

The entire first production of BulletTrain SAFE Wallets has been shipped out, with many very happy customers. Some customers have been confused by how the Silent/Switch functions on the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, which can be confusing. The intent of this article is to help anybody who is confused with this issue to easily overcome it.

Step 1: is to install your iPhone 5 into your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.

It does NOT matter which position the Ring/Silent Switch is in on the iPhone 5 when you install it. It will automatically properly seat itself in step 2.

Install your iPhone by laying it flat on top of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet with the wallet door closed, then press down on each of the four iPhone 5 corners, one at a time, until all four iPhone 5 corners are installed in the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.

Step 2: After you install your iPhone 5 in your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, the side profile should look like it does in the photo of the iPhone on the left side, pictured above.  The Ring/Silent Switch will appear as if it is in the muted position, but it is NOT.

In order to properly activate the Ring/Silent Switch you MUST grab it between your left index fingernail and left thumbnail, then pull up on the Ring/Silent Switch, toward the iPhone front glass, untill you feel it grab and engage the iPhone Ring/Silent Switch. 

At first this may feel akward, but you will easily get used to it, and it will become second nature. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU PULL BACK ON THE RING/SILENT SWITCH THE FIRST TIME AFTER YOU HAVE REINSTALLED YOUR IPHONE THAT YOU PULL IT BACK TOWARD THE IPHONE GLASS SCREEN REALLY HARD. TRY DOING IT 10 TIMES HARDER THAN YOU THINk YOU WILL NEED TO, AND IT WILL WORK.

Don't worry about being too aggressive with this. Pulling back aggressively to engage the Ring/Silent Switch cannot harm your iPhone in any way.

Once you have followed the instructions above, every time you move the Ring/Silent Switch back and forth it will work properly, until you remove your iPhone 5 from your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet. Every time you reinstall your iPhone 5 in your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, you must follow these instructions again. Don't worry, if it seem complicated, it will become second nature before you know it ;-)

Once you have the Ring/Silent Switch properly engaged, when it is  down in the silent position, it will look like it is not all the way down, kind of like it should be able to slide down further, but it cannot slide down any further. In other words, it may look to be in between muted and un-muted, but it is NOT–IT IS IN THE MUTED POSITION. This is a design defect, we plan to fix in the future. In other words, when it is in the down position, it should appear like you slid it all the way down.

The installation video below shows hot install your iPhone into your SAFE Wallet.

If after reading this article, you still have a challenge, please call BulletTrain at (415) 440-1400, and we will assist you.

Why I Over-Engineered The Bottom Of The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet For Durability...

Why I Over-Engineered The Bottom Of The

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet For Durability

Some customers have asked the question of whether or not, at the bottom of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, where the headphone jack and Lightning cable slide in, if the hole is big enough to accommodate the standard White Apple Headset with a 3.5MM jack, as well as the standard White Apple USB to Lighting cable that both come standard with every iPhone 5? The answer is yes!!!

The photo above shows the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet with the standard Apple Lightning cable and Headphones in front of a BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s. The photo below shows the same standard Apple made cables plugged into the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5/5s.

I designed the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet headphone jack and Lightning openings to perfectly accommodate the standard Apple Headphone and Lightning cable as seen in the photo above. 

I did not make the openings any larger for several important reasons. First, and foremost, I wanted to preserve and maintain as much structural integrity as possible, so that if you drop your BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, it will be as sturdy and protective as possible. Secondly, in order for the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet to work properly, the hollow-core wallet door needs to stay square, and won't work properly if the case were to easily flex. 

Thirdly, almost all third-party Lightning adapters are not Apple Certified with the "Made for iPhone" certification on their retail package. There have been numerous reports that these counterfeit Lightning adapters can cause adverse effects, like instability of current causing battery failure, or even worse, destroying and bricking an iPhone so it is beyond economical repair. This is included in Apple's troubleshooting procedures for power and charging related issues for the iPhone 5 family. Also, it has been widely reported, that imitation Lighting cables have an EXTREMELY high  failure rate, which leaves the end-user with no warranty recourse.

The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet is the only hard-shelled case made that is unibody, and seamless. This makes it much easier to install and remove your iPhone 5/5s due to the increased structural integrity the SAFE offers. This makes installing and removing your iPhone very easy and fast, and unlike many other case which flex, it does not feel like you need to use pliers to remove your iPhone.

The iPhone 5 is really skinny, so it does not leave much room for mass, when you have large openings located at the bottom. Many iPhone cases have oversized openings at the bottom, but if you drop them the wrong way, they will easily crack, and as the designer of the the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet I wanted to do everything I could to reinforce bottom.

The photo below is of a competitors product, which I will not mention by name, but they attempted to create an oversized opening on their iPhone 4 case to accommodate larger aftermarket 30 pin connectors, and this is the result. Once again, I want to reiterate this in NOT a BulletTrain product, and it perfectly illustrates why I chose to reinforce the bottom of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, instead of weakening it, to accommodate aftermarket jacks and cables.

3.5 MM Headphone Adapter Solutions

We are working on developing our own 3.5MM Adapter that will allow you to use ANY aftertermarket headset with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, but for now there are many aftermarket solutions that will help you overcome this challenge. The 3.5MM Male to 3.5MM female adapter pictured below is made by iLuv and it is called the Connect and Control, Remote Control Adapter. 

The iLuv Connect and Control, Remote Control Adapter pictured above and below works with iPad and iPod, and iPhones and not only allows you to use Headphones with a 3.5MM headphone jack, but also features a set of buttons that include Volume Up, Volume Down, Play/Pause, and can Skip Tracks backward or forward. It also allows you to press and hold the center button to hear the title of the song, as well as the name of the artist. It even allows you to switch playlists! 

I have tested the iLuv and it works perfectly with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, and it only costs $7 on Amazon, and it also qualifies for free 2 day Amazon Prime Shipping. It also comes in black and white. Click here to view the iLuv adapter on Amazon.

I have not had a chance to test the Belkin Headphone Adapter seen below, but I think it should also work with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet.

This Belkin adapter is also available on Amazon for $17 with free Amazon Free Shipping. As I mentioned, I have not had a chance to test it, but when I do, I will confirm it works.

A Kickstarer supporter discovered this 3.5MM Stereo Headphone Adapter Extension which he said fits and works with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet and only costs $4, and can be purchased through iGearUSA.

BulletTrain SAFE Wallet Compatible Headphones

These Headphones Do NOT Require An Adapter

Below is a list of all headphones we know of that fit and work with the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, and do NOT require an adapter. This list is compiled from our own examination as well as from customers who have written in to help us improve this list.

• Apple Standard White Earbuds

• Any Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

• Beats Headphones by Dr. Dre

• Sennheiser MX980

• Skull Headphones

• Sony MDR-10RNC

• Yurbuds