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TikTok is top-grossing iOS app for December

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok had a very strong 2020.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

TikTok, the ultra-popular short-form video app, finished 2020 on a high note as December’s top-grossing non-gaming app. According to app analytics platform Sensor Tower, TikTok pulled in $142 million that month across iOS and Android.

That’s 3.3 times the revenue TikTok produced in December 2019. The overwhelming majority of this money (86%) came from China, where TikTok is known as Douyin. The United States ranked second for TikTok spending, accounting for 7% of revenue.

Tim Cook’s pay package hits $14.8 million in 2020

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CEO Tim Cook photo via Fox Business
Tim Cook had reason to smile last year.
Photo: Fox Business

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s pay rose by a massive 28% in the company’s fiscal 2020, a regulatory filing reveals.

Cook took home the same $3 million basic salary he earned in 2018 and 2019. However, his non-equity incentive plan compensation increased from $7.7 million last year to $10.7 million. That brought his earnings for the year to $14.8 million — on the back of a spectacular year for Apple.

Apple will reveal how well the iPhone 12 is selling on January 27

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Apple will reveal how well the iPhone 12 is selling on January 27
The Apple earnings call in three weeks will reveal much more about the iPhone 12 launch.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple plans to announce on January 27 the financial results from last quarter. This includes the launch of the iPhone 12 series, so it’ll offer the first hard numbers on how well the latest iOS handsets are selling.

The quarter also contains the holiday-shopping season, which traditionally adds enormously to Apple’s bottom line. But 2020 wasn’t a normal year and it’s not yet known how the COVID-19 pandemic affected gifting of Mac, iPad and other products. Apple financial results should clear away the mystery.

Tile prepares to take on AirTags with its own UWB tech

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Tile will speak out against Apple in Congress antitrust hearing
Tile might use UWB tech to improve future item-tracking tags.
Photo: Tile

Tile reportedly will move beyond Bluetooth for its future item-tracking tags, which will add support for ultra-wideband tech. The move could be prompted by a need to compete with Apple AirTags, the long-rumored item trackers that supposedly will employ UWB.

The upgrade also could signal that Tile joined a new Apple program that allows third-party trackers to connect to the Find My‌ network created by iPhones, Macs and other Apple devices.

How to choose which HomePod listens to you when using two or more

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How to choose which HomePod listens to you
It's easier than you think.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Are you constantly being ignored by the HomePod that’s closest to you when asking Siri for assistance? Sadly, Apple doesn’t make it completely obvious how to manually specify which HomePod listens to you when you’re using more than one. But it is possible — and super-simple.

We’ll show you how.

Make great videos on your Mac with this top-rated editing bundle, now 50% off

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This Mac App duo covers all of your video needs
The Mac apps in this bundle should handle all your video needs.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Who said great video editing software had to come with a high price tag? You can easily create videos on your Mac with the two top-rated apps included in The Essential Filmage Mac Bundle. And right now, lifetime subscriptions are on sale for just $19.99 — that’s 50% off the regular price of $39.

Making MacBooks and iPads into wireless chargers is a brilliantly dumb idea

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Adding wireless chargers to the MacBook Pro seems a no-brainer.
A MacBook with wireless charging is a cool idea that also comes with disadvantages.
Photo: Apple

You might someday be able to recharge an iPhone just by putting it down on your laptop. MacBook wireless charging an idea with obvious advantages … but real drawbacks, too.

It’s definitely something Apple has been looking into. On Tuesday, the company received a patent for a scheme to build wireless chargers into notebooks, tablets and handsets so they could charge each other (or an Apple Watch).

Shield your iPhone with great cases, protectors and stands at 20% off

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Laut iPhone 12 cases
Check out Laut's new iPhone 12 lineup today.
Photo: Laut

The Cult of Mac Store’s big January sale is in full swing, offering big discounts of up to 72% on must-have accessories. We’re now expanding it by adding all products from Laut, which are now available at 20% off the usual price.

You’ll find iPhone cases and screen protectors, stands for all your Apple devices, and lots more. Bag yours before the sale ends!

Users spent massive $73.4 billion in the App Store last year

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iPhone 12 Pro parts cost shockingly little
The App Store was quite the money-maker for Apple last year.
Photo: Cult of Mac

What pandemic? According to a new report from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, global spending on mobile apps across both iOS and Android hit an astonishing $111 billion in 2020. That’s a massive 30% growth from 2019.

The overwhelming spend — $72.3 billion — was on iOS, despite the larger number of Android devices. Google Play revenue, meanwhile, came in at $38.6 billion. Both app stores showed approximately the same level of growth over the year.

Pascal’s Wager brings mouse and keyboard gaming to iPad

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Pascal's wager
The best looking game on iPad just got better.
Photo: TipWorks/Giant Network

Want to take iPadOS 14’s keyboard and mouse support for a gaming spin? Pascal’s Wager has you covered.

The dark fantasy action RPG, showcased at Apple’s 2019 iPhone event, is reportedly the first iPad game to benefit from this treatment. Apple said it would bring keyboard and mouse support to iOS devices at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

New lockdown measures close all Apple stores in the UK

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apple.store.regent.street.london.1
It's not clear when Apple Stores in the UK will open again.
Photo: Richard Shrum for Cult of Mac

Apple temporarily closed all its brick-and-mortar stores in the United Kingdom on Tuesday as a result of new COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed by the government.

Twenty of the 38 U.K. Apple stores were already closed due to coronavirus. However, new national lockdown measures that came into place Tuesday shuttered the other 18.

Awesome macOS concept imagines the AR iMac of the future

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AR Mac
Could this be the Mac setup of tomorrow?
Photo: Dominik Hofacker

A designer’s radical new concept shows what future Macs could look like if augmented reality glasses replaced the computers’ physical screens.

Dominik Hofacker, a 24-year-old designer who just landed a job at Facebook, calls his well-thought-out virtual Mac concept “macOS reality.”

“With AR glasses on the verge of release, and eventually replacing our smartphones for almost all tasks, I asked myself, ‘How does productivity look like in the future?'” he told Cult of Mac. “GlassOS that runs on Apple Glasses is one thing, but nobody has ever thought about the next generation of Macs.”

These affordable iPhone mounts will help keep your eyes on the road

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These phone mounts will keep you and your iPhone safe
Either of these phone mounts will keep you and your iPhone safe.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

So you managed to get your hands on one of the iPhone 12 models? That’s great news! Now you just need a phone mount that keeps your iPhone in view while using it for navigation. Luckily, we rounded up two deals on robust phone mounts that will keep obstructions out of the way and your eyes on the road — and they each cost less than $20.

Rejoice! Smaller MacBook chargers could be coming

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A bulky Apple charger next to a svelte Aukey one.
Apple might finally make a wall adapter that’s not way fatter than third-party MacBook chargers.
Photo: Aukey

MacBook users might be getting a charger from Apple that’s less of a brick. At last! The Mac-maker reportedly will start sourcing power adapters made with gallium nitride. GaN semiconductors allow these vital accessories to be significantly smaller than the old silicon ones.

That should be welcome news to Mac users, as the power adapters that come with MacBooks now are noticeably bulkier than third-party options.

These pico projectors will enhance your favorite shows during lockdown

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These projectors will enhance your viewing experience from home
Take your pick of these two hot deals on pico projectors.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re experiencing yet another bump in the road as coronavirus cases spike nationwide. With stores and public outings closed for the foreseeable future, we’ll need to find new ways to stay entertained during lockdown, especially now that our usual routines are months old at this point.