There are a lot of ways to connect remotely to a Mac, and I’ve tried most of them. Today, though, I want to focus on one in particular: Astropad Workbench, an app and service for remotely connecting to your Mac that includes unique features that make it a compelling choice on the iPhone and iPad, but less so when connecting from one Mac to another.
Apple Releases Watch Band, Watch Face, and Wallpapers to Celebrate Pride Month
Apple has released its annual Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpapers celebrating LGBTQ+ communities.
The commemorative Sport Loop uses 11 colors of nylon thread that blend the colors together in a unique way. As Apple’s press release puts it:
The intricate weaving blends one color into the next, creating depth and movement across the band. The resulting design is joyful and vibrant, showcasing a full spectrum of colors that reflect the unique identities that shape LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
The watch face and wallpapers share a similar style of gradient strips of bright colors radiating out from the watch face’s analog clock design and in vertical strips on the wallpapers.
As usual, Apple’s designers have done great work with the band, watch face, and wallpapers. There’s a vibrancy and energy to them that brings them to life.
The Apple Sport Loop is available to order today online and in the Apple Store app for $49 and will be in retail stores later this week. The watch face and wallpapers will be available as soon as the 26.5 releases of watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS are released to the public.
Codex as a Productivity Super App
FedericoThis week on AppStories, John shares his tip for moving files with Taildrop before he and Federico dig into Codex and its unique capabilities.
On AppStories+, Federico and John have both returned to Apple Reminders and discuss why and how they’re using it.
Also available on YouTube here.
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AppStories Episode 483 - Codex as a Productivity Super App
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Coming Soon: What’s Next on Apple TV and Apple Arcade in May 2026
It’s a new month and it’s F1 season, which means it’s time for a roundup of everything coming to Apple TV and Apple Arcade in May 2026.
This month we’re adding F1 and other sports airing on Apple TV this month, starting with tomorrow’s Miami Grand Prix, and continuing below with the Canadian Grand Prix and Friday Night Baseball at the end of the month.
Let’s dive in.
F1: The Miami Grand Prix (Tomorrow, May 3)
Sunday will see the very first U.S.-based race of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Miami, Florida. In addition to Sunday’s race, Apple TV subscribers can watch qualifying round coverage beginning today at 3:25 PM Eastern U.S. time, with qualifying beginning at 4 PM and the race itself beginning at 4 PM Eastern Sunday.
Apple has also created a 3D view of the race track in Apple Maps, a Maps Guide of local hot spots for race attendees, an Apple Music playlist that Apple says captures the energy and excitement of F1, and many other race weekend tie-ins you can check out in this Apple press release.
Add to Your Calendar:
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is debuting four games this month on Thursday, May 7:
Perchang World (Release Date: May 7)
The game I’m most excited about this month is Perchang World, an update to a classic indie game first released about a decade ago. The version debuting on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV is an evolution of the original physics puzzler that requires you to use a variety of switches and platforms to guide balls through the game’s brightly-colored, playful environments. The game is narrated by British comedian James Acaster, who judging from the game’s trailer, adds a great sense of humor and fun.
Add to Your Calendar:
Ultimate 8 Ball Pool+ (Release Date: May 7)
If you’re a fan of pool, Ultimate 8 Ball Pool+, an Arcade adaptation of the HypGames’ App Store version will be available for Arcade subscribers on May 7 too. The game features photorealistic graphics and 3D perspectives as well as one-on-one multiplayer, tournaments, trickshot challenges, and more.
Add to Your Calendar:
Nick Jr. Replay! and Good Pizza, Great Pizza+
Next Thursday, Apple Arcade will also release Nick Jr. Replay!, a family-friendly game starring characters from Nick Jr. shows like Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues & You! and over 50 minigames designed to help kids with math, reading, art, and other learning skills. Finally, Good Pizza, Great Pizza+ is an adaptation of an App Store game, but without In-App Purchases. The game is a cooking simulator where your goal is to take orders, bake pizzas and get them to customers.
Apple TV Shows and Movies
Unconditional (May 8, 2026)
Unconditional promises to start May off with a bang. The brand new thriller follows Orna, whose daughter Gali is arrested for drug smuggling in Russia. The eight-episode show follows Orna as she fights for her daughter’s freedom, which pulls her into the dangerous criminal underground of Moscow.
Add to Your Calendar:
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (May 20, 2026)
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a dark comedy/thriller starring Tatiana Maslany as a newly divorced mom who believes she witnesses a murder. Deciding to investigate what happened, Maslany’s character, Paula, is drawn into what appears to be a dangerous larger conspiracy, while also dealing with a battle over custody of her child.
Add to Your Calendar:
Star City (May 29, 2026)
Star City is Apple’s For All Mankind spinoff. Based on the same alternative history events where the Russians land on the moon before America, the show follows the story from the perspective of the Russians. The eight-episode show follows Russia’s cosmonauts, scientists, engineers, and government officials as they race to the moon.
Add to Your Calendar:
Propeller One-Way Night Coach (May 29, 2026)
Propeller One-Way Night Coach is an Apple Original movie based on a 1997 children’s book of the same name. The film, which is John Travolta’s first directorial credit, follows Jeff, who loves airplanes, and his mother as they travel to Hollywood. Their one-way journey transforms everyday travel into an adventure filled with an unusual cast of characters.
Add to Your Calendar:
Live Sports Events
Canadian Grand Prix (May 22-24, 2026)
.](https://cdn.macstories.net/untitled-21-1777743518300.png)
Source: F1.
Round 5 of the 2026 Formula 1 season will take place against the skyline of Montreal, Canada from May 22-24. The semi-permanent 4.36 km track is on Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River. F1 racing on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve began in the late 70s and has a reputation of unpredictable weather that can cause chaos on the track.
Add to Your Calendar:
Friday Night Baseball
It’s hard to believe that Apple is in the midst of its fifth Friday Night Baseball season. In May, viewers will be treated with the following two game lineup every Friday:
- May 8
- Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians (7:00 PM Eastern)
- St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres (9:30 PM Eastern)
- May 15
- Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (6:30 PM Eastern)
- New York Yankees at New York Mets (7:00 PM Eastern)
- May 22
- Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs (2:00 PM Eastern)
- Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles (7:00 PM Eastern)
- May 29
- Minnesota Twins at Pittsburgh Pirates (6:30 PM Eastern)
- Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:00 PM Eastern)
That’s it for May. I’m personally looking forward to Perchang World and Star City the most. If you’re a Club MacStories Plus or Premier member, drop by the TV and Movies channel in Discord to chat about what you’re looking forward to from Apple TV this month, and be sure to listen to MacStories Unwind, where I’m sure Federico and I will cover some of these shows and games, along with our other media recommendations every week.
How I Approach Agent-Assisted App Building
This Week on MacStories Podcasts
This week on MacStories podcasts: AppStories This week, John and Federico cover Apple’s executive transition, follow up on OpenAI’s super app, share the apps they’re looking for, and give each other suggestions on how to fill their app gaps. On AppStories+, we round up the tools we’ve built for ourselves that fill gaps we haven’t...
Interesting Links
In the wake of an excellent update to Pedometer++ this week, David Smith reflects on what it took to build a custom mapping system for the Apple Watch. (Link) For those who use Codex, it looks as though OpenAI will be releasing an iPhone version soon. (Link) To commemorate its 75th anniversary and Apple’s...
App Debuts
Coax Coax is a relatively new app for all of Apple’s platforms (except the Apple Watch) that uses your Plex library to create channels that work like over-the-air, old-fashioned TV. You can’t rewind, pause, or skip forward. Instead, you open Coax, pick a channel, and watch whatever it serves you. I don’t have enough...
Previously, On MacStories
Apple Reports Q2 2026 Revenue of $111.2 Billion GameHub’s Desktop Beta Promises to Expand Mac Gaming Cronos: The New Dawn Showcases the Mac’s MetalFX and Ray Tracing Pedometer++ 8: Glimmers of an Apple Wrist Renaissance Remodex Is the Best Codex Remote Client for iOS (Until OpenAI Releases an Official Codex Mobile App)...