GRaguInformation

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I continued my account of the first day of the 2015 Chennai floods, when my MacBook Pro ran out of battery around 7pm and took my hotspot, and every connected device, down with it. I have rewritten it into advice on planning devices and power for a long outage.

After shutting my office laptop, I kept browsing on the MacBook Pro in hotspot mode. I had an old Samsung Galaxy phone and an iPod Touch, both charged to 100%. By about 7pm the MacBook Pro was out of battery, and since it was the hotspot, everything else lost the internet. The rain kept pouring. For the first time I went down to the portico to look, saw the rain lashing everywhere, and went back in after a few minutes. I did not know it was the last time my phone would have signal at home.

What went wrong with the setup?

Everything depended on one device with the largest battery drain. When it died, so did the connection for all the others. A phone hotspot would have lasted longer and cost less power per hour.

How should you plan devices for an outage?

• Give each device a role: phone for calls and messages, one device for news, one kept off as reserve.
• Avoid single points of failure: do not route everything through one device.
• Download entertainment and documents early: offline content needs no signal.
• Know where signal is strongest: near a window or on a higher floor.

What happens to mobile networks in a flood?

Towers run on grid power with limited backup. In long, widespread outages, as in Chennai in 2015, the backup runs out and coverage disappears. Expect your signal to fail after a day or so, and send important messages early.

Is it safe to go out and look?

Only within the building and away from water, wires and basements. Floodwater hides open drains and live cables. Staying in was the right choice.

Keep reading

• Seeing Your iPhone Battery From a Mac
• Replacing an Old First-Generation Chromecast
• Moving From Windows To Mac: What Actually Ports

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about feeling devastated after hearing colleagues' hikes, and then being asked directly for my hike percentage by a manager on my team, who I later felt had betrayed me. I have rewritten it into advice on handling questions about your pay.

After learning that one colleague had almost the same hike as me and another had an unimaginably large one, I was upset and blamed my luck. I did not want to work on my bids, since I felt I had put in more effort than others. I wanted to go home early. Then a manager on the team messaged me and, without hesitation, asked my hike percentage. After a pause, I said I had not calculated it yet. He said he wanted to check whether hikes differed between our team and delivery. I later came to believe he had used the information against me.

Do you have to tell a colleague your hike?

No. Pay is personal, and many companies ask staff to keep it confidential. Declining politely is always acceptable: "I would rather not share numbers, but I am happy to talk about the process."

Why do people ask?

Curiosity, comparison, or to gather information for their own negotiation. Sometimes, as in my case, for reasons that are not in your interest. You cannot always tell which, so it is safest to share nothing specific.

How do you manage the disappointment of a low hike?

• Wait a day before reacting: first calculations are often wrong.
• Check the facts: fixed pay, variable pay and effective date.
• Ask your manager for the reasoning: calmly, with your achievements listed.
• Keep working well: a visible dip in effort can affect next year's rating.

What if a colleague uses your pay information against you?

There is often little to be done after the fact. Learn from it, keep future conversations general, and raise any misuse with your manager or HR if it affects your work.

What should you say instead of a number?

Something honest and general: that you are still reading the letter, or that you prefer to keep pay private. You can also ask how the revision process worked in their team, which gives useful context without exposing your own figures.

Keep reading

• Waiting for Your Rating: Handling the Questions
• Company Says Jobs Are Safe but Your Team Is Silent
• A Same-Day Deadline Lands While You Are on Leave