Mike Schramm

Editor

Mike has worked in the Joystiq Network since 2006, as lead blogger and senior editor on WoW.com and one of the founding editors on Massively.com. Currently, he is a contributing editor on Joystiq, and also writes and podcasts for various outlets, including The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

Mike Schramm's Latest Posts

Apple now the number one buyer of microphones in the world

by Mike Schramm (Jan 19th 2012 6:00AM)

Apple purchased a whopping 349 million micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones last year to put in all of its various iOS devices, which means it is now the biggest purchaser of such microphones in the world. That number grew 173 percent from 2010 to 2011, putting Apple up over ...

Zynga picks up four more mobile gaming companies

by Mike Schramm (Jan 19th 2012 2:00AM)

Mobile/social game giant Zynga has made four more acquisitions in mobile gaming, having already picked up quite a few iOS and mobile development companies in the past. This time around, the biggest pickup is a company from Germany named Gamedoctors, makers of the very popular ZombieSmash title. ...

Bloomberg: Apple plans to bolster iPad use in schools

by Mike Schramm (Jan 18th 2012 11:30PM)

Bloomberg adds yet another dollop of confirmation to the rumors about tomorrow's event that Apple will have plenty of educational news to share. Most of the rumors have revolved around a textbook-based system for iBooks, and Bloomberg agrees, saying that Apple will introduce not only more ...

Hands-on with ION Audio's Guitar Apprentice and new iCade models

by Mike Schramm (Jan 18th 2012 11:00AM)

We first saw ION Audio's really impressive iCade followups at the beginning of CES last week during CES Unveiled, but that little taste at the crowded event wasn't really enough for us, so later in the week we went by the company's booth to get a better look and actually hold and play with the ...

Daily iPhone App: Hero Academy

by Mike Schramm (Jan 18th 2012 8:10AM)

Honestly, I'm not very good at Hero Academy. It's a deep game, slow to develop (asychronous multiplayer mode dictates the pace) and tough to learn. Still, I've enjoyed it. It's the first iOS title from Robot Entertainment, the company behind the Steam and console hit Orcs Must Die! (In fact, ...

Smule's Ge Wang plays Magic Guitar for us at CES

by Mike Schramm (Jan 17th 2012 9:15PM)

We got to sit down for a quick chat with Smule's own Dr. Ge Wang at CES in Las Vegas last week, and the result is the video below. Not only is the co-founder overseeing Smule's musical experiences for mobile devices (and its recent merger with Khush, another musical developer), but he's also an ...

Slacker Radio tries to break through a flooded streaming music market

by Mike Schramm (Jan 17th 2012 8:00PM)

One of our final meetings at CES last week was with Slacker Radio's VP of Marketing, Jonathan Sasse, who sat down in a Las Vegas lobby restaurant to tell us what his company has been up to lately. Slacker Radio is one of the many streaming radio offerings that have apps available on the App ...

Daily iPad App: Run Roo Run HD

by Mike Schramm (Jan 17th 2012 7:00PM)

5th Cell is the developer behind the very popular Scribblenauts (which was released on iOS to great acclaim last year, and just had a new level pack update), and it recently brought a new title to the App Store called Run Roo Run. 2D platforming is a genre that's almost as old as videogames ...

How Line2 accidentally disrupted the phone industry

by Mike Schramm (Jan 17th 2012 7:00AM)

Last week at CES 2012, I met up with Line2 CEO Peter Sisson; he is a man who's done a lot of butting heads with big companies over what started off as a pretty simple proposition. Line2's basic concept was to create a second line (for business or personal calls) on your iPhone. Sisson's ...

Sculpteo brings 3D printing to the iPhone

by Mike Schramm (Jan 17th 2012 5:00AM)

Sculpteo is a fascinating French company that's working to bring 3D printing to the masses. The company had a booth at CES, and while some of our chat with them had to go through a French/English barrier, they very nicely explained to us how they're doing business and allowing almost anyone to ...