Patched but exposed, X pays only for originals, and why 5GHz won't feel fast
Today: a researcher beats Microsoft's September patch within hours, X kills repost payouts, a macOS window trick you're not using, and the clock-speed myth behind every '5GHz chip' headline.
- Long Press · Daily Five14 Sept 202601 / 05
commentaryMicrosoft patched Windows. Hours later, someone broke it again.
Microsoft shipped its September security patch, and within hours a researcher known as Nightmare Eclipse released 'ShieldCrash' — an exploit that grants SYSTEM-level access on fully patched Windows 10, 11 and Server. It's the third time this year they've walked straight through a Microsoft Defender fix. The catch: it's a proof-of-concept with no write access, not live malware — but it's a sharp reminder that 'updated' doesn't automatically mean 'safe.' Keep Defender on, reboot after updates, and stay skeptical of shady downloads.
The problem
People treat 'my system is fully updated' as the finish line for security. Patch Tuesday lands, the update installs, and everyone assumes the door is shut.
What changed
Hours after Microsoft's September 2026 patch, a researcher called Nightmare Eclipse published 'ShieldCrash,' a proof-of-concept that gains SYSTEM-level privileges on fully patched Windows 10, 11 and Server. It's a surviving path through Microsoft's fix for the earlier 'ShieldBreak' Defender flaw (CVE-2026-69414) — the third Defender-fix bypass in a chain that started in April.
The catch
It's a proof-of-concept, not weaponized malware, and it does not give attackers write access to your files. Microsoft says its patches address the issue; the researcher says the fix is incomplete.
What it means for you
Install updates and reboot, keep Defender on, and don't assume 'fully updated' means untouchable — the weakest link is still a sketchy download or link you open yourself.
- Long Press · Daily Five14 Sept 202602 / 05
newsX now pays creators only for original work. Reposts are out.
X has retired its old ad revenue-sharing program and moved eligible creators to 'Original Content Rewards,' which pays only for genuinely original work — your own writing, self-shot photos and video, and real analysis. Reposts, reuploaded clips, and text slapped over someone else's video no longer qualify. To earn, you need X Premium, 500 verified followers, and 500,000 recent impressions from verified users, plus ten original posts submitted for review. First payouts land September 25, then every two weeks. The lazy-repost payday is over.
The problem
For years, low-effort accounts farmed X payouts by reposting, reuploading downloaded clips, and adding basic text overlays — while original creators watched engagement-bait get paid.
What changed
X ended Creator Revenue Sharing (final payout September 11) and moved eligible users to Original Content Rewards starting September 8. It pays only for primary work — original articles, self-shot photos and video, custom illustrations, or genuine analysis. Requirements: X Premium, 500 verified followers, and 500K recent impressions from verified users; enrolled creators submit ten original posts for review, with first payouts September 25 and biweekly after.
The catch
Reusing someone else's work now requires real added value — substantive analysis or creative editing. Watermarks and 'describe what's happening' overlays won't pass, and some creators are already reporting rejections as the bar rises.
What it means for you
If you post on X, lean into original formats — your own writing, footage, and analysis — because that's the only thing the new program rewards. Repackaged content is a dead end here.
- Long Press · Daily Five14 Sept 202603 / 05
tipYour Mac has built-in window tiling. Almost nobody uses it.
macOS can snap windows into a clean split-screen without any third-party app. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen and it fills half; drag it into a corner and it takes a quarter. Prefer menus? Hover over the green button at the top-left of any window for a full 'Move & Resize' tiling menu. And if you'd rather stay on the keyboard, Fn + Ctrl + arrow keys does the same thing hands-free. No Magnet, no Rectangle, no paid app — it's already on your Mac.
The problem
Mac users either drag and resize windows by hand all day, or pay for apps like Magnet and Rectangle to get proper split-screen tiling.
What changed
Modern macOS has native window tiling built in. Drag a window to a screen edge to fill half, drag into a corner for a quarter, hover the green window button for a 'Move & Resize' menu, or use Fn + Ctrl + arrow keys to tile entirely from the keyboard.
The catch
It's most fluid on recent macOS versions, and the edge-drag snapping takes a moment to get used to — but there's nothing to install and nothing to pay for.
What it means for you
You can get instant, precise split-screen today without downloading anything — try dragging your current window to the edge of the screen right now.
- Long Press · Daily Five14 Sept 202604 / 05
myth buster'World's first 5GHz phone chip' — and why your phone won't feel it.
The 'world's first 5GHz mobile chip' headlines are here, and GHz is quietly the most overrated spec in tech. Peak clock speed lasts only seconds before heat forces the chip to throttle down, so sustained performance — not the number on the box — is what you actually feel. What really decides how fast a phone feels: chip architecture (how much work it does per cycle, or IPC), RAM management, storage speed, and how well the software is optimized. A well-tuned 3GHz phone beats a poorly-cooled 5GHz one every time. Stop buying the number.
The problem
Every chip launch leads with a giant clock-speed number, and buyers treat 'more GHz' as a direct proxy for 'faster phone.'
What changed
Peak GHz is a burst figure that a phone can only hold for seconds before thermal throttling pulls it back down. Real-world speed comes from architecture and IPC (work done per clock cycle), RAM management, storage speed, cooling, and software optimization — not the headline frequency.
The catch
Clock speed isn't meaningless — at equal architecture and cooling, higher sustained clocks do help. The point is that a single peak-GHz number in isolation tells you almost nothing about how a phone will actually feel.
What it means for you
When you compare your next phone, look past the GHz headline to sustained performance, thermals, RAM and software — a well-optimized phone with a lower clock will out-feel a hotter, higher-clocked one.
- Long Press · Daily Five14 Sept 202605 / 05
communityX will only pay for original content now. Cleanup, or just a new game to beat?
X will now pay creators only for original content — reposts, reuploaded clips and lazy text-overlays get demoted. On paper it's a win for real creators. In practice, people are very good at gaming any system. So does 'original content only' actually improve your feed, or just spawn a new wave of clever repackaging? Where do you land?