Hi there, Touchtypers!

There's been a number of developments and tid-bits since my last update, so let's jump right in:

Early Backer Rewards Shipped

First, I'm proud to announce that we have completed all the shipments for the Early Backers (yay!).

That said, there are some international shipments I know that are still in transit. If you haven't received your case yet, and we haven't been in touch already, send me a private message and I'll look it up.

Observations

Judging by all the personal messages and the comment board, you guys are really pleased with the final product. A couple of backers have already posted their reviews:

• Review by Sharon Simms
• Review by Jeff Geerling
• Review by Raphael Santana

Most everyone seems to agree that the case is as good, if not better, than they had expected… Sweet!

One observation I've heard a few reports about is that the color from the suede lining on some of the Wild Espresso cases appears to be coming off on the keys. Fortunately, I've learned that it can easily cleaned off with some nail polish remover. Also, any color transfer should stop altogether after a certain point. Nevertheless, I want to apologize for any hassle this may cause. I really tried my best to test out every aspect of the design but it never occurred to me that there could be an issue with the color of the lining.

Similarly, please keep me posted on how the Touchtype fares with long-term use. This is a version 1.0 product (and I'm a version 1.0 product designer) so I need everyone's collective feedback to help me improve the design.

Status of Black Leather Cases

Progress has been slow but steady. I've gone back and forth with the factory trying to get the case exactly right. For example, the leather they used for the first sample felt too plasticky to me (even though it was apparently top grain leather).

The leather in the next sample was better, but it still appeared too dull and gray to my eyes. I have the third sample on its way to me as we speak which I'm hoping will be the winner. The leather it uses should be based on a swatch I had approved — a dark, rich black with just the right amount of shine. I had to pay extra for it, but I'm happy to sacrifice some margins for a superior end product.

Because of this delay, it's likely that I won't be able to send the black cases out until October. I know this is not the best news, but trust me, the wait will be worth it!

Next Steps

At the same time, I'm working on getting my remaining stock of cases up for retail sale. I'm planning on having a portion of the cases available on Amazon and some through my own website. If you're interested in knowing when these will be available, sign up for the mailing list at www.touchtypecase.com

I hope you guys aren't tired of me saying this, but thank you for all your backing, support, comments, feedback, reviews, patience, general nice-ness, humor and love.

This has been a very good experience for me and I'm honored to have such a great bunch of early adopters for Touchtype's inaugural product.

Thank you.

~ Salman

Hi Touchtypers!

As the remaining minutes countdown on the Kickstarter clock, I wanted to take this opportunity to send out another update.

Don't Forget the Shipping

If you don't live in the United States, be sure your pledge includes shipping. I made a little video to show you how to do this (see attached).

This has been a common question I've received since Kickstarter doesn't work the way most other retail sites do. I hope this video helps.

Look Out for the Address Survey

Kickstarter doesn't give me your address automatically. I have to ask for it after the project is over. So be on the look out for a survey from me shortly after the project ends tomorrow.

Less Than 24 Hours To Go

Lastly, I wanted to give another heartfelt thank you to each one of you for making the project such a success. It's been a really fun ride and I don't have any regrets whatsoever. I've really enjoyed conversing with many of you through comments and direct messages and I hope to be in touch with many of you in the near future.

Warmly,

~ Salman

ps: If you have a moment, check out my friend's Human Rights project that he recently launched. Even though he's met his goal, any bit of additional support would help raise awareness about this important issue.

Hey there, Backers,

I've got some news for you that I'm sure you all are going to want to see… some real hands-on reviews!

The Glowing Reviews

You know how I told you guys I was sending out review units to various sites? Well, they're starting to trickle in and I'm sure you'll be pleased. Here's a few blurbs as well as their respective links:

MacNN Review: “Overall, the Touchtype case is one of the nicest available, and the MacNN staff have seen a lot of them since the release of the original iPad.”

The Industry Review: “It has been designed incredibly well — even though it has a ton of features and uses, it’s gorgeous and impossibly thin…You can probably tell I’m in love with this accessory.”

SurfBits Review: “For anyone that has an Apple Wireless Keyboard or plans on getting one, the Touchtype is the perfect case for it and your iPad.”

If nothing else, I hope these positive articles reassure you about the quality of this Kickstarter project. Even though I'm totally new at this, I'm really trying my best to ensure that all of you get something worthwhile and of lasting value.

Wild Espresso

Some of you have asked me about the "wild espresso" leather version of the case and what it looks like in person. 

First, let me say that no two wild espresso cases look alike. My wife and I have gone through 150 of them so far and each one has its own distinctive look.

What makes each one look unique?

Well, the first reason are the grains you see running through the leather. In some cases, the pattern looks like a flowing web of lines while in other cases the lines are much more subtle. Sometimes the same case will exhibit lines of varying intensities. (hence the term "wild")

The second reason is the color. It wouldn't be fair to call these cases brown but neither are they pure black. The color is really like a cup of coffee — black with brown undertones of varying intensity. Even more interesting is that these undertones look more brown in incandescent lighting whereas they appear more black in fluorescent lighting.

Leave aside the unique functionality of the Touchtype case, these wild espresso cases could stand out for their beautiful leather alone.

The Touchtype Theme Song

Believe it or not, the Touchtype case has it's own "Singtone"! All courtesy of the smooth vocals belonging to Ensemble 101. Have a listen:

Ensemble 101 happens to be running their own Kickstarter project where they will sing a customized "Singtone" with your name. The audio file can then be used as a custom ringtone on your phone. You can find out more about their project via this link.

Lastly, I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation to all you backers. Beyond just submitting pledges, I've seen a number of you promote this project on Twitter and in various forums. Thank you.

That's it for now, everyone. Take care and we'll be in touch again real soon. :-)

~ Salman

ps: Again, I've embedded as well as attached the image in case some of you have trouble viewing it in your email.

It's been a whirlwind 48 hours!

The initial surge saw us blow through our funding goal and make a dent in the Early Backer Specials. We also got a lot of positive press from various prestigious blogs around the web.

A successful launch by any metric.

Photo Fun

I thought I'd share a photo with you guys. It's of my one-car garage filled with the boxes containing the Early Backer Touchtype cases. See the attached photo:

You see, I'm one of those people who expect the best but plan for the worst. And reading scattered reports of other Kickstarter projects with unfulfilled rewards got me anxious.

That's why I took the extra step of taking out a bank loan and using my personal credit cards to bite the bullet and pay for an initial shipment of cases.

I wanted to test the whole process end-to-end before I asked for anyone to take out their wallet.

Next Steps

Even though we had a good initial launch, things are beginning to level off.

Here are some things I'm doing that I hope will lead to another surge:

1. Mac-Blog: I'm meeting a writer from Mac-centric blog tonight to show him the cases (he lives really close to me). He'll take some exclusive photos and get to test out the cases in person.

2. Mac-magazine: An editor at a Mac-centric magazine has asked me to send him one of the cases for a review! I'll put in the mail for him today. It's one thing for people to like the concept in a video, but that doesn't guarantee they'll like it once they get it in their hands. So I'll need everyone's good thoughts/prayers/well wishes that things go well.

How You Can Help (if you want)

Everyone on this update has already given the greatest help by backing the project. Thank you.

But for those of you who have the time and desire to do more, I have a suggestions for you.

Step 1. Do a Google search for: case to hold ipad and apple wireless keyboard

Step 2. Notice that there are quite a few links to forums where people are asking: "Where can I find an iPad case that can also hold an Apple Wireless Keyboard?" and people responding "Sorry, it doesn't exist."

Step 3. Please educate them. :-)

If you're one of those people that like to "rinse and repeat", then do the steps above with other similar search phrases like ipad case apple keyboard or iPad cases for Apple Keyboard

Signing off

That's all for now! Thanks again for everyone's support and encouragement. I'm humbled and grateful for all of it.

~ Salman

ps: I've attached a photo of my garage as well in case there are some people who can't receive images in email.