Bob Pony on Engineering

Apple’s new M5 MacBook Air and M5 MacBook Pro has a soft brick bug that occurs after attempting to factory reset. When the activation screen appears, there’s no WiFi icon in the menu, making it impossible to pass the activation. The solution? Use a USB C to Ethernet adapter! 🫠

Activate Mac screen says select a WiFi network from the menu or attach a network cable to proceed. The issue shows there’s no WiFi icon in the menu bar, making it impossible to activate without Ethernet.

1.4K likes70 repliesPosted Mar 17, 2026

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Why it worked

Follows a clear Hook → Context → Landing shape, so the reader always knows where they are.
Ends on a short line that is easy to quote and repeat.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.
Short sentences keep the pace up, so the reader never has to re-read a line.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook → Context → Landing
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: energetic, punchy
Written for: Engineers and technical teams

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Engineering

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