# Zulu Sierra > Præconium Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages - [About this site](https://zulusierra.co/about.md) - Zulu Sierra is an independent publication launched in June 2026 by Zë Stuart. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available. Your subscription makes this site possible, and allows Zulu Sierra to continue to exist. Th… ## Posts - [On the value of metrics in sports](https://zulusierra.co/on-the-value-of-metrics-in-sports.md) - When discussing heart rate monitors for a friend's partner recently, he pointed out she might not see the value in it, and is quite happy going for a run with just a watch. As someone who has collected gigaquads of data about my exercise over the years, I agreed there might not be much point, and t… - [On the importance of disconnect: giving you, you](https://zulusierra.co/on-the-importance-of-disconnect-giving-you-you.md) - For conversation's sake, I think I've had a phone with me almost constantly for every day of the last 20 years. Way back when, it was tapping out SMS (160 char or less!) on a Nokia, with their T9 predictive text firmly in muscle memory. The Sony Ericsson had a camera accessory, taking SMS to MMS wi… - [Why I am not in favour of AI meeting notes](https://zulusierra.co/why-i-am-not-in-favour-of-ai-meeting-notes.md) - It might be more true to say I abhor them, but, as with all strong global statements one soon finds fault. What I do believe is that, as with the majority of unfocussed LLM usage, they allow for the abdication of responsibility, and the absence of clear intent in action. Here is what I've observed:… - [Nunc: why I built my own fitness stack](https://zulusierra.co/nunc-why-i-built-my-own-fitness-stack.md) - 2026 is, arguably, the year of AI. The first full year when one could really point it at a task, and see results. I’ve built three pieces with Claude Code this year: īmago, an Instagram-like service for friends; Infusor, a coffee recipe platform (give it a photo of a bag of coffee, and it’ll pick t… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 9: Decoding the Record, Byte by Byte](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-9-record-decode.md) - Part 7 left the MG's sync buffer wide open and its contents shut: 109-byte per-second records and 73-byte raw-PPG bursts, with heart rate at one known offset and everything else a wall of bytes. This is the slow work of turning that wall into a field map, and the traps that made it slow. Part 6 map… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 7: WHOOP 5 & MG — Same Handshake, New Data Format](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-7-mg-protocol.md) - The newer straps speak almost the same language as the WHOOP 4 we researched in Parts 4–6. Almost. The handshake byte changed, the framing grew, and the one command that would have let me read the sensor live turns out to do nothing at all. Parts 4-6 took apart the WHOOP 4.0, the strap whose intern… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 6: What's in Whoop's Overnight Buffer?](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-6-overnight-buffer.md) - The WHOOP records all night and stores in in a buffer until requested. Here's what's actually in that buffer, the field map that I misunderstood, and the command that wiped five hours of my data. Parts 4 and 5 documented the WHOOP 4.0's protocol and computed HRV from it. Both ran on the same raw ma… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 5: How Accurate Is DIY HRV From a Hacked WHOOP?](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-5-whoop-hrv-accuracy.md) - Six nights, 356,000 records, thirteen algorithm variants, and a surprisingly honest answer from the data. In the previous posts I documented the WHOOP's proprietary BLE protocol, built a passive daemon that downloads buffered sensor data overnight, and decoded the 93-byte historical records, includ… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 4: Understanding the WHOOP Protocol With a £12 Sniffer](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-4-whoop-protocol-cracking.md) - How a Raspberry Pi, two Nordic dongles, and a carefully-timed Bluetooth toggle revealed an undocumented protocol variant. The WHOOP is a fascinating device to reverse-engineer because it almost looks open. It advertises standard BLE services — Heart Rate (0x180D), Battery (0x180F), Device Informati… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 3: The Strap Comes With an SDK](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-3-polar-h10-sdk.md) - After a chest strap that leaked its ECG by accident and a band that hid everything behind one undocumented byte, here's the device that comes with a manual, and what I built on top of it. The first two parts of this series were about prising data out of mysterious black boxes. The Wahoo TRACKR hand… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 2: Raw ECG From an £80 Chest Strap](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-2-wahoo-trackr-raw-ecg.md) - Reverse-engineering the Wahoo TRACKR HR — no documentation, no SDK, no authentication. Just a BLE connection and methodical curiosity. The Wahoo TRACKR HR is a rechargeable chest strap heart rate monitor. It costs around £80, it supports Bluetooth and ANT+, and — as I discovered — it will happily s… - [Hacking Bluetooth Sports Tech for Fun and Profit — Part 1: What Else Is In Your Chest Strap?](https://zulusierra.co/vestigator-part-1-chest-strap-hiding.md) - How much data is your heart rate monitor actually capable of sharing, and what else could you use? If you've ever worn a Bluetooth chest strap during a run or a ride, you've consumed exactly one number from it: your heart rate, updated once per second, streamed to your watch or phone as a tidy inte… - [On the Subject of Coffee](https://zulusierra.co/on-the-subject-of-coffee.md) - A Prose Piece After Douglas Adams - [Brewing with The Bird](https://zulusierra.co/brewing-with-the-bird.md) - Optimising for V60 - [A Logic-Based Lifeform's Guide to Compersion](https://zulusierra.co/a-logic-based-lifeforms-guide-to.md) - As someone who neatly fits into the alexythymia class, it should not be surprising that I process my experiences logically. I’ve recently been working a lot on compersion, and like all sensible logic-based lifeforms I decided to detail my process in a flow-chart. It’s missing a loop counter, to acc… - [Mi encanta de nadar](https://zulusierra.co/mi-encanta-de-nadar.md) - 0:00 /0:58 1× When I work, I’m responsible for a team of 7, plus the team’s deliverables, plus an assortment of other stuff. When I’m not working, half the year I’m solely responsible for myself. When I swim, all I need to do is breathe. Text within this block will maintain its original spacing whe… - [In Praise of Cycling](https://zulusierra.co/in-praise-of-cycling.md) - 0:00 /0:34 1× I have been an enthusiastic cyclist since I was told I could either have more pocket money, or buy my own bus pass. I chose more money, and more cycling. To say it has been a defining feature of my strand would be an understatement. Cycling has a lot of benefits I enjoy: accidental ex… - [Air Defence](https://zulusierra.co/air-defence.md) - Life-gas devourer maintenance - [WYÛRing Suunto for Cycling Sensors](https://zulusierra.co/wyuring-suunto-for-cycling-sensors.md) - Dragging a watch to a lake of sensor data - [Using Suunto and Stryd in 2024](https://zulusierra.co/using-suunto-and-stryd-in-2024.md) - Keeping Running Power Clean, Reliable and Simple - [Follow-up test with the Sennheiser Momentum Sport Earbuds](https://zulusierra.co/follow-up-test-with-the-sennheiser.md) - Post firmware update to 3.18.43 - [Thoughts on Tracking Data whilst Climbing Part 1](https://zulusierra.co/thoughts-on-tracking-data-whilst.md) - On the Quantification of Pump - [Troubleshooting Apple Watch and External Heart Rate Monitors](https://zulusierra.co/troubleshooting-apple-watch-and-external.md) - The Apple Watch is a very powerful wrist-mounted personal communications device, but with that great power comes great responsibility for battery life. Whilst the internal HRM is satisfactory for some activities (sleep, background, and supposedly running), like all wrist/optical sensors its accurac… - [On Garmin and Polar chest straps](https://zulusierra.co/on-garmin-and-polar-chest-straps.md) - Both Garmin and Polar make chest strap heart-rate monitors. Garmin's product looks expensive, but you only ever need to buy one: it'll fail within the warranty period and they'll replace it for free. Polar's are modular, and I haven't had one fail in many years of using them. Taking a step back fro… - [Inhabiting William Gibson's Modern Trilogies](https://zulusierra.co/inhabiting-william-gibsons-modern-trilogies.md) - I think William Gibson is best known for the Sprawl trilogy, and specifically Neuromancer. Amazingly he has written other books: the Blue Ant/Bigende trilogy, and the Jackpot series, among others. Pattern Recognition - there will be spoilers in general - follows Case Pollard, a woman who has an all… - [Spring 2024 Julbo EVAD-1 Update](https://zulusierra.co/spring-julbo-evad-1-update.md) - I have a couple of other posts on the EVAD-1, tl;dr is that the software is incredible, but the early hardware I had was... challenged. Four years on, how's it going? Problems 1. Swipe sensor doesn't always want to swipe. 2. No way to turn them off aside from auto-off. Delights The work ActiveLook… - [Brief Sennheiser Momentum Sport Data Analysis](https://zulusierra.co/sennheiser-momentum-sport-data.md) - Sennheiser released their Momentum Sport headphones in 2024-04, an interesting partnership between Polar (they who invented the chest-worn ECG) and an audio company. Historically, the ear has been an excellent point to measure both temperature and heart rate from, so logically these headphones shou… - [Theoretical: Garmin is the better training tool](https://zulusierra.co/theoretical-garmin-is-the-better-training-tool.md) - Since the Fēnix 3, Garmin's watches have been the most fully-featured tracking devices available. This isn't to say the most accurate, but, the ability to collect data from almost any sensor, and write it to a file, was unsurpassed. Logically, with all this information, and their potential to under… - [How to have better Sends with Friends](https://zulusierra.co/intentional-skills-to-climbing-improvement.md) - Or Intentional Skills to Climbing Improvement After too-long a hiatus, I resumed climbing last year. I was incredibly lucky to meet an amazing climber at a Queer Crush meet-up in Oakland, and we've been climbing as our nomadic schedules allow. We both value intention in climbing, and I've been expl… - [1000km on a Squid Gravtron](https://zulusierra.co/1000km-on-a-squid-gravtron.md) - After owning a second-hand Cannondale Topstone for ~500km, I decided that the bike was cursed and sold the frame and fork. Wanting something to hold the components together, I got chatting to someone on the SF Bay Ferry who suggested I look at Squid bikes. Located in Sac, they're local(ish), and of… - [Gravel Rides Around Seville](https://zulusierra.co/gravel-rides-around-seville.md) - In 2023, I was lucky enough to spend three months in Seville (Sevilla), in Andalucia in southern Spain. I took my bike with me, a steel Squid Gravtron, to explore the local (and less local) areas. (Power-scroll to the bottom for the Komoot routes and GPX tracks.) After finding online map data incom… - [My post-flight photo workflow](https://zulusierra.co/my-post-flight-photo-workflow.md) - Since flying my first quadcopter, a Mavic Pro, I've evolved the sequence of events that between landing and having photos to share. It's the most efficient it's been, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. 1. Connect external volume (a SanDisk 2TB Extreme Pro) and microSD from the aircraft to the… - [Sports Technology Minimalism](https://zulusierra.co/sports-technology-minimalism.md) - As I optimise for six months of digital nomadism, I’ve been reviewing a lot of my possessions: what to keep, what to sell, what to donate. Some of this is easy as obvious large swathes of possessions can clearly be released into the material continuum, and some less so. Small things that I use but… - [HRV: Garmin versus Ōura](https://zulusierra.co/hrv-garmin-versus-oura.md) - Starting with 2022's 255 and 955 watches, Garmin has hadded HRV tracking to the battery of data generated from the optical sensor on their watches. This is available on 6 and 7 series watches, too, really bringing HRV trend lines to the masses. I find this an intersting comparison as Marco Altini,… - [Moving media](https://zulusierra.co/moving-media.md) - For years, I've been manually copying files from microSD cards to external storage volumes after each flight. Today I had enough, and wrote myself a bash script to move files into a directory scheme I like. It's modular, and has some error handling. - [Openwater swimming with FORM](https://zulusierra.co/openwater-swimming-with-form.md) - A while ago, I wrote about the FORM goggles, mainly focussed on pool swimming. Since moving to within cycling distance of a very nice lake, I've had the opportunity to use the FORM goggles in OWS mode, which I'll focus on here. A Tale of Two Modes Form has two modes for OWS: 1. Goggle data only (wi… - [A Tale of Two Trainers](https://zulusierra.co/a-tale-of-two-trainers.md) - Bicycle trainers can be divided into two broad categories: those that support the bike, and those that don't. An example of the former would be the Tacx Neo 2T, or a Wahoo Kickr: both replace the rear wheel of the bike, holding it upright. The latter category is all about rollers, that allow both w… - [CORE body temperature](https://zulusierra.co/core-body-temperature.md) - A recent addition to my array of data collection tools is the CORE body temperature monitor. TL;DR? A wearable skin and core body temperature monitor, that can record data for about a week constantly, and 'just works'. What is it? A wee sensor that can be stuck to your skin with a pad, or attached… - [Combination speed/cadence sensor troubleshooting](https://zulusierra.co/combination-speed-cadence-sensor-troubleshooting.md) - I have a Suunto bike POD, which is - I believe - the same as the Wahoo combination sensor, and is a finnicky device. Here are my steps for troubleshooting its flakey performance and turning it into something useful: 1. Spoke magnet: this will always come loose. I apply blue thread lock, tighten the… - [Swimming with FORM](https://zulusierra.co/swimming-with-form.md) - As someone who likes data, and swimming, it should come as no surprise that I have a pair of the FORM goggles. They're terrific, and unlike a lot of sports tech, which servers no purpose beyond enhanced navel gazing, I've been able to use the live data during swimming to determine my optimum stroke… - [Honest opinions on the DJI Air2S](https://zulusierra.co/honest-opinions-on-the-dji-air2s.md) - I'll start with defining honest: I've flown 6 DJI aircraft over the years, and paid for them myself. The Air2S is their latest aircraft, offering the small size of the Air2, with a (the?) 1" sensor from the incredible Mavic 2 Pro. Lose the variable aperture, lose mass, price, and the sideways obsta… - [What's really exciting about Suunto's 2.16.26 Update](https://zulusierra.co/whats-really-exciting-about-suuntos-2-16-26-update.md) - TL;DR, I love Suunto: whilst a Garmin device has n+1 levels of functionality, I find that Suunto devices have an allure that almost makes up for what a Garmin promises (and sometimes delivers). In 2021-06, Suunto released firmware 2.16.26 for the 9 series of watches (9, Baro and Peak). The 9 Baro w… - [My Failed Wearable Technology Graveyard](https://zulusierra.co/my-failed-wearable-technology-graveyard.md) - Over the years I have amassed a collection of failed wearable technology (sadly absent is Google Glass). What do I mean by failed? Failed here doesn't mean the product didn't work, but instead that the manufacturer/vendor stopped supporting the product's back-end services, effectively creating a pa… - [Eight months later with the Julbo EVAD-1](https://zulusierra.co/eight-months-later-with-the-julbo-evad-1.md) - I think it's safe to say that the EVAD-1 is the most expensive pair of sunglasses I've bought, or possibly will buy. After a long and tedious conversation with US customs, hell-bent on enforcing FDA regulations I got my paws on them. A recap * Sunglasses: excellent. Julbo's photochromic tech puts O… - [4000km on a Cannondale Slate](https://zulusierra.co/4000km-on-a-cannondale-slate.md) - Back in 2016 (or was it 2015?) when the Slate was announced, it was if not the first, a very early bike in a new breed: Cannondale called it an 'all-road' bike, a category that has become gravel bikes. The Slate features unusually small 650b wheels, and even more unusually a Lefty front suspection… - [4000km on a Canyon Grail](https://zulusierra.co/4000km-on-a-canyon-grail.md) - I love bikes, but for me to want to own a bike, and spend hours riding it, it needs to be different to the rest: Cannondale's Lefty forks (I love my Hooligan), Evil's Hagar with its DH-inspired geometry on a gravel frame, or Canyon's bizarre handlebar on the Grail. I spent a year not buying the Gra… - [How to Synchronise from Withings to Garmin](https://zulusierra.co/how-to-synchronise-from-withings-to-garmin.md) - This is a problem I've been typing into search engines for a while: how to sync data from Nokia Health/Withings to Garmin? It seems simple: take data from cloud a, shove it into cloud be, to save me from typing data I see with my eye balls into Garmin. Why is this important? All the virtual sports… - [The Golden Age of Technology Ren. Fair](https://zulusierra.co/the-golden-age-of-technology-ren-fair.md) - When was the Golden Age of Technology? To me, technology was most interesting from about 1995-2018. Palm Pilots, Psions, Nokia phones in many wonderful shapes and sizes, you name it: if design teams could draw it, it could be manufactured! It might (or might not) be bug-ridden, but compared to toda… - [Migrating from Medium to Ghost](https://zulusierra.co/migrating-from-medium-to-ghost.md) - After some searching on DDG, I found a solution that worked, actually linked on Ghost's help site where they offer a migration service. Their URL, 'for the brave': 1. Follow the instructions. 2. Done. I love open source magic. - [Smoked Vesper](https://zulusierra.co/smoked-vesper.md) - In Casino Royale, Bond orders not a vodka martini (shaken) but a drink he later names the Vesper: 'A dry martini,' he said. 'One. In a deep champagne goblet.' 'Oui, monsieur.' 'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-… - [Teabag Vodka: Lapsang Souchong](https://zulusierra.co/teabag-vodka-lapsang-souchong.md) - I want to get this out of the way first: I don't think there's a way of saying 'oh I'd like a cup of Lapsang Souchong' without sounding either pretentious, or up one's own arse. I'm at peace with that: it's a delicious black tea, smoked over pine. Ingredients * 325ml of vodka * Lapsang Souchong (sa… - [Speedy Square Crops for Instagram Carousel Posts](https://zulusierra.co/speedy-square-crops-for-instagram-carousel-posts.md) - Posting to Instagram, more than any other social platform is an art unto itself. To start with, they only allow three aspect ratios in a single post: * 1:1 * 4:5 (portrait) * 1.91:1 (landscape, very annoying!) From a platform perspective, I understand the restriction, and from a photographer's pers… - [Walnut-cashew butter](https://zulusierra.co/cashew-walnut-butter.md) - Goal-seeking a cheaper nut butter. - [Vegan Full Fat Old Fashioned](https://zulusierra.co/vegan-full-fat-old-fashioned.md) - After making my buttered bourbon, the next logical step was to use it in an Old Fashioned. Initially, I thought I'd made a mistake with the cask strength Maker's Mark, but after drinking it kept the flavour of the bourbon in pace with the other flavours. Ingredients 1. 50g buttered bourbon 2. 5g (1… - [Vegan Buttered Bourbon](https://zulusierra.co/vegan-buttered-bourbon.md) - Back around 2015, I used to enjoy a a cocktail called a Full Fat Old Fashioned from at the Hawksmoor restaurant, in Soho, London. This was back when I ate steak tartare, and every other animal product between me and the bottom of the plate. Present day, 2021, it's been a long time since I've consum… - [Retiring GAFYD/Suite/Workspace](https://zulusierra.co/retiring-gafyd-suite-workspace.md) - A long time ago (2008), quite literally in a land far, far away, I gave a short talk on how I'd started using Google Apps For Your Domain. Prior to that, whilst studying for my MCSE, I'd set up an Exchange server environment on old desktops at home, and run my email &c off that. Moving to GAFYD sav… - [2020-12-21 Jupiter/Saturn Conjuction](https://zulusierra.co/2020-12-21-jupiter-saturn-conjuction.md) - In my last post, I wrote about the maths behind getting maximum exposure with minimal motion blur using my Sony Nex 7, and predicting that exposure for a given focal length. This maths - originally using the 500 rule, re-writing it to a 200 rule, served as a useful guide to start the images, but st… - [Astrophotography with a Sony Nex 7](https://zulusierra.co/astrophotography-with-a-sony-nex-7.md) - The Sony Nex 7 is a mirrorless 24mpx camera, released in 2011, featuring an Exmor APS-C sensor, with a crop factor of 1.53 when compared to a 35mm piece of film. Exposure I attempted to work out the optimum exposure to reduce/remove motion blur from stars, by starting with the 500 rule: Exposure =… - [A short time with the Julbo Evad-1](https://zulusierra.co/julbo-evad-1.md) - Julbo, French maker of sunglasses, partnered with ActiveLook, a manufacturer of a wearable heads-up display. This allows the wearer to see geospatial and physiological data displayed in their field of view, without loss of an area of sight. TL;DR? Good hardware, usefulness heavily restricted by the… - [Specialisation is for insects?](https://zulusierra.co/specialisation-is-for-insects.md) - Heinlein wrote that a competent person, a basic type of polymath, should be able to perform the left-hand column of tasks. I've generalised these, and updated them for fun. Heinlein Generalisation Change a diaper Take care of an infant, plan an invasion, create a complex plan, butcher a hog, source… - [Further thoughts on running with back pain](https://zulusierra.co/further-thoughts-on-running-with-back-pain.md) - Back in 2018, I wrote briefly about my experiences with running and back pain. Skip forward to August 2019, I got a custom-made pair of insoles, focussing on arch support. It took a couple of weeks to get used to them, but I've gone from having to be very careful regarding back pain and day-to-day… - [Patching holes in tubeless tyres](https://zulusierra.co/patching-holes-in-tubeless-tyres.md) - After getting a couple of large holes in a brand new tyre (Panaracer 700x38c GravelKing Slick Tread) that couldn't be sealed by either the tubeless sealant in the tyre, or traditional plugs, I decided to experiment with a hybrid approach. Process After purchasing an inner tube repair kit, I removed… - [Learning from success: experiments in mostly open source GIS](https://zulusierra.co/learning-from-success-experiments-in-open-source-gis.md) - Before moving to the math, I knew I wanted to be able to easily and regularly map the terrain with my quadcopter. After moving to the math, I gained a much deeper understanding of the process. It exists in the following basic phases: 1. Data gathering: flying the mission to collect the imagery, pos… - [Learning from failure: aerial mapping](https://zulusierra.co/learning-from-failure-aerial-mapping.md) - I consider myself to have a lot of experience with aerial photography, having owned three aircraft, and captured a lot of video and photogrpahic data with them. This morning, I sent my aircraft off to map the Math, without thinking about the kinds of photographs required for aerial mapping. I prior… - [A brief assessment of the R-Shield Respilon](https://zulusierra.co/a-brief-assessment-of-the-r-shield-respilon-2.md) - A new company, R-Shield, launched a Kickstarter to make a wearable air filter, that incorporates a fancy nano-thingy to filter the air you breath. As a new company, offering a new health related product, the image of the classic snake-oil salesman the FDA was created to stop springs to mind, but th… - [Features missing from the Suunto Spartan range](https://zulusierra.co/features-missing-from-the-suunto-spartan-range.md) - Suunto pulled through (perhaps…) a ‘replatforming’, and are merrily selling their Spartan line of watches. This started with the Ultra… - [Swimming with the Arc’Teryx Drypack 25](https://zulusierra.co/swimming-with-the-arc-teryx-drypack-25.md) - A few years ago, I was on a kayaking trip with a former Royal Marine: he described his fourteen years of service as fourteen years of… - [Camping at BUMM1](https://zulusierra.co/camping-at-bumm1.md) - Overlooking Lake Sonoma is Bummer Hill, which has two hike-to campgrounds on it, BUMM1 and BUMM2. All recreation.gov tells the visitor… - [Vegan Crêpe](https://zulusierra.co/vegan-cr-pe.md) - Adapted from a recipe I wrote in 2000, adapted from another recipe and so on, because vegans do it better. - [Tyler Durden: the Robin Hood of the Iago character?](https://zulusierra.co/tyler-durden-the-robin-hood-of-the-iago-character.md) - By now, most people should know of the Paper Street Soap Factory, and its sole proprietor, Tyler Durden. Mr. Durden wants to help people… - [The Spectre of Change: moving with the TAD Spectre 22L and the Talon Guide trousers](https://zulusierra.co/the-spectre-of-change-moving-with-the-tad-spectre-22l-and-the-talon-guide-trousers.md) - The products that Triple Aught Design have been changing recently: it started with the hood of the Raptor, and continued with the Protocol… - [Getting wet and staying dry in the Triple Aught Design Raptor Hoodie](https://zulusierra.co/getting-wet-and-staying-dry-in-the-triple-aught-design-raptor-hoodie.md) - Reviewing the TAD Raptor Hoddie, in wind, snow, and the wet, and on a bike - [The DJI Osmo+: a review of a shambles](https://zulusierra.co/the-dji-osmo-a-review-of-a-shambles.md) - Whilst pursuing better video, I obtained first a DJI Osmo Mobile, and after returning that, a DJI Osmo+. Here’s what happened. - [The disruptive DxO One](https://zulusierra.co/the-disruptive-dxo-one.md) - When photography started, it was a case of exposing plates to light in order to change them. Today, the principle still exists, except that… - [Of Bedrolls and Picnic Blankets](https://zulusierra.co/of-bedrolls-and-picnic-blankets.md) - When Prometheus Design Worx announced their technical picnic blanket, I was somewhere between amazed, disgusted, and outraged, based on the following points: * technical: how is a picnic blanket technical? The language used to describe outdoor equipment is bad enough for the consumer (softshell or… - [Reviewing the Oakley Radar Pace over a few days](https://zulusierra.co/reviewing-the-oakley-radar-pace-over-a-few-days.md) - On 2016–10–01, Oakley released the Radar Pace, for $449. Very little technical information was available pre-sale, and it was a delight to find it supports both Bluetooth and ANT+ sensors. A novel feature of it that was also undocumented is that the software (‘coach’) will calculate running power,… - [Evolving the Arc’teryx Konseal: The Triple Aught Design Vortex](https://zulusierra.co/evolving-the-arc-teryx-konseal-the-triple-aught-design-vortex.md) - For a while, my preferred base/mid layer for anything cold (running, snow shoeing, cycling: sweaty pastimes) has been the Arc’teryx Konseal. Its lightweight thin fleece fits closely to my body, and the ‘scuba’ hood with integrated face warmer/jaw component of a balaclava keeps my head warm and fits… - [Coffee, the constantly growing industry](https://zulusierra.co/coffee-the-constantly-growing-industry.md) - A while ago, I knew a guy in a place. This guy, we’ll call him Carter (and the place Milk Bar) made great coffee and knew other people who make great coffee. Finding out I was from Oxford, he pointed me in the direction of another guy, and another guy, who we’ll call Nathan and James, who worked in… - [Longer-term with the Suunto Ambit3 Vertical](https://zulusierra.co/longer-term-with-the-suunto-ambit3-vertical.md) - Continued from here. A while back, Suunto announced a new iteration of their GPS/GLONASS line, called the Vertical. Like a good technologist, I pre-ordered, and embraced its smaller feature set (compared with the Peak) with delight. I endured Suunto’s decision that people who ‘chase the Vertical’ d… - [On the Mystery Ranch Flight Monster Duffle](https://zulusierra.co/on-the-mystery-ranch-flight-monster-duffle.md) - I’ve been known to by bags, normally something around the size of a day pack (20–25L), but every so often I need something bigger. This is one of those times, and with an imminent move to San Francisco, I knew I’d need something large and strong. Having been impressed by Mystery Ranch before (I hav… - [Backing up data in a SaaS company](https://zulusierra.co/backing-up-data-in-a-saas-company.md) - When I started working in IT, life was simple: everything was on servers in a server room or a data center, and everything on those servers needed to be backed up. Data replication had yet to really take off, internet connections were slow, and clouds were only just starting to firm in the sky. Eve… - [Losing weight through high protocol and technology, and my exercise stack](https://zulusierra.co/losing-weight-through-high-protocol-and-technology-and-my-exercise-stack.md) - As someone who is most content when everything is quantified, I was immediately made unhappy last June, when I upgraded my long-standing original Suunto Ambit to an Ambit3 Peak. It had a new feature my completist nature had to check: a running performance graph, or, as I saw it, unquantified data.… - [On Queal, and chewing your drink](https://zulusierra.co/on-queal-and-chewing-your-drink.md) - Experiments with meal-replacement powders from a person who enjoys food and cooking Two of my hobbies are reading cookbooks, normally in an armchair in the kitchen while something else cooks, and cooking. With that in mind, I took the probably improbable decision to try one of the many meal replace… - [A week with the Suunto Ambit3 Vertical, and thoughts on the Ambit line](https://zulusierra.co/a-week-with-the-suunto-ambit3-vertical-and-thoughts-on-the-ambit-line.md) - Update: this is continued here. Last Wednesday, I received my Suunto Ambit3 Vertical. Having a new hardware design — a recycled Traverse — it presents itself more as an Ambit 3.5 than one of the existing range. Initial Observations The first, most apparent difference is the removal of the GPS anten… - [Experiments with small-scale solar power in the home](https://zulusierra.co/experiments-with-small-scale-solar-power-in-the-home.md) - I backed a Kickstarter project, Solar Paper, by Yolk, which provided me with four very thin solar panels that magnetise together. Each panel is rated at 2.5W/5V, and up to six can be chained together. Living in the UK, a dark and gloomy place, one does not naturally think about solar power, but I w… - [A comparison of the Suunto Smart and Mio Link heart rate monitors over 28m of cycling](https://zulusierra.co/a-comparison-of-the-suunto-smart-and-mio-link-heart-rate-monitors-over-28m-of-cycling.md) - Recently, I compared the output of two optical heart rate monitors: the Mio Link, and the Jabra Pulse, finding that they are comparable in their accuracy. Since then, I’ve moved on from an interest in direct heart rate (beats per minute), and developed an interest in heart rate variability (HRV), w… - [A week with the Triple Aught Design EDC](https://zulusierra.co/a-week-with-the-tadgear-edc.md) - Recently, TAD released an update to their EDC pack (the larger of their two rucksacks). It took its ques from the Litespeed update in the form of straps and internal attachment points for the Control Panel, and added an innovative, separate roll-top compartment (think an integral dry bag), as a nod… - [On notebook choice](https://zulusierra.co/on-notebook-choice.md) - Few things define a person more than his choice of notebook. Moleskine, Field Notes, Leuchtterm, Nock: each choices broadcasts something different. For several years I have been a proud user of Field Notes. I enjoyed their size and durability (most notably their ability to stand dunking in rivers,… - [Improving the TAD FASTPACK Litespeed v2](https://zulusierra.co/improving-the-tad-fastpack-litespeed-v2.md) - I’ve had my LS since 2015–05–16, and have flown with it, hiked in the Alps with it, and commuted by (pedal) bike with it. Stuffed into overhead storage bins, being rained on, sat on, packed with a silly — silly — amount of weight, it’s been through it. Before the v2, I had the v1, and I was pleased… - [On the Mio Link Heart Rate Monitor](https://zulusierra.co/on-the-mio-link-heart-rate-monitor.md) - Starting on Kickstarter, Mio were the first company that I know of to use an optical HRM in a sports stracker. Bright green LEDs shine through the skin, enabling a camera to see the wearer’s pulse. This is then exported either over BT LE or ANT+ to one’s preferred device. I own the Mio Link, which… - [A comparison of two optical heart rate monitors over 23m of running](https://zulusierra.co/a-comparison-of-two-optical-heart-rate-monitors-over-23m-of-running.md) - I ran yesterday wearing two HRMs, both optical. On my right wrist, I wore a Mio Link, and in my ears, a Jabra Pulse. The data from the Link was recorded to my Suunto Ambit3 Peak, and the Pulse was recorded to their app on my iPhone. The run was over relatively even grass, and the air was 15ºC. Anal… - [On Gloves; design and review](https://zulusierra.co/on-gloves-design-and-review.md) - I’ve had a fluctuating obsession with gloves for most of my life, with it waning as capacitive screens came to dominance. I have a passing interest in the contents of the pockets of others; ‘every day carry’. Amongst the pocket detritus of the modern man with access to Amazon Prime, gloves feature… - [Scrumping, international](https://zulusierra.co/scrumping-international.md) - One of the best words in en-gb is scrumping; to commit an act of fruit (primarily apple) larceny, ideally having to scale an orchard wall to complete it. One returns to the free side of the wall, knees scuffed, and pockets bulging with the illicit gains of one’s escapade. French were partial to a b… - [On Hoods](https://zulusierra.co/on-hoods.md) - I think there are two types of hood in the world, two major categories at least: hood, functional, weather (fitted) and hood, snivel (unfitted). The fitted, functional weather hood Objective To keep the weather, be it wind, rain, or sun, off my head. Method 1. Drawstrings, side: these run around th… - [Safe, Sane, Consensual IT](https://zulusierra.co/safe-sane-consensual-it.md) - The principles are that IT activities should be: * safe: attempts should be made to identify and prevent risks to the health of the network * sane: activities should be undertaken in a sane and sensible frame of mind; e.g.: not when under duress or inebriation * consensual: all activities should in… - [How to connect your Sony Lens Camera to an Android Lollipop device](https://zulusierra.co/how-to-connect-your-sony-lens-camera-to-an-android-lollipop-device.md) - There’s an irritating bug somewhere between Sony’s PlayMemories app, and Google’s Android Lollipop 5.0 (this is with the flashed image, rather than the OTA), that stops the user tapping their Android on the camera’s NFC chip and automating the connection. Once fixed, you have to pretend to be an iO… - [Fallen poppy](https://zulusierra.co/fallen-poppy.md) - [Bees on an Onion](https://zulusierra.co/bees-on-an-onion.md) - Bees on an Onion, a set on Flickr. I believe the smaller bee to be a female B. rupestris, and the larger to be B. sosoeensis, happily collecting pollen from an onion blossom. - [To the Chilterns!](https://zulusierra.co/to-the-chilterns.md) - To the Chilterns!, a set on Flickr. Or, how to burn 2280kcal over 54.9km, and have lunch with the best view over Oxfordshire. - [Fieldnotes in the field](https://zulusierra.co/fieldnotesbrand-in-the-field.md) - Field Notes in the field, a set on Flickr. Or several fields. And beaches. And crags. And cactii. - [How to get a spare clip for your Garmin Tempe or Foot Pod](https://zulusierra.co/how-to-get-a-spare-clip-for-your-garmin-tempe-or-foot-pod.md) - 1. Pick up telephone. 2. Ask the nice person on the other end of it for another clip. 3. They’ll post you one. (YKMMV: they posted me one.) While you wait, attach the Tempe to your head with electrical tape as penance. Or your helmet, if that is more demeaning. - [StormLockPicks Aluminium Billet Handle Set Review](https://zulusierra.co/stormlockpicks-aluminium-billet-handle-set-review.md) - Storm Aluminium Billet Handle Set, a set on Flickr. In my last post, I mentioned finding Storm’s picks a little uncomfortable for extended periods of picking. I placed an order for a set for a friend’s birthday (his opinion: “My God these picks are amazing!… Seems like I can feel what’s going on in… - [Picking in with a storm: fun with StormLockPicks](https://zulusierra.co/picking-in-with-a-storm-fun-with-stormlockpicks.md) - Experience Prior to owning this set of Storm picks, I’ve used a Sparrows Sentry set, and had a lot of fun with my Bogota Titan Entry Toolset that I picked up at Defcon in 2011. Not seriously experienced, but a bit around the block: my pet hate was the wafer lock, and it was with Storm picks that I… - [West Highlands](https://zulusierra.co/west-highlands.md) - West Highlands, a set on Flickr. Photos from the West Highlands, on a rare sunny day. - [“How dare you?” Miss Trunchball rants…](https://zulusierra.co/how-dare-you-miss-trunchball-rants.md) - How dare you? You are not fit to be at this school madam, you ought to be in prison, in the deepest, dankest prison. I shall have you wheeled out, strapped to a trolley with a muzzle over your mouth. I shall crush you, I shall pound you, I shall dissect you madam. I shall strap you to a table and p… - [Benchmarking a 32GB USB 3 Lexar memory stick on OS X 10.8](https://zulusierra.co/benchmarking-a-32gb-usb-3-lexar-memory-stick-on-os-x-10-8.md) - Spoiler alert: the unencrypted volume is??1.8314606741573 times faster. Intel Core i7 @ 2GHz, 8GB RAM. Unencrypted volume localhost:~ me$ dd if=/dev/random of=/Volumes/VHD1/fatty count=2m2097152+0 records in 2097152+0 records out 1073741824 bytes transferred in 89.328126 secs (12020199 bytes/sec) E… - [How to stop OS X pulling its hostname from DNS](https://zulusierra.co/how-to-stop-os-x-pulling-its-hostname-from-dns.md) - sudo scutil — set HostName {desired hostname} You’re welcome… - [Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition waterproofing test with a bath](https://zulusierra.co/motorola-xoom-2-media-edition-waterproofing-test-with-a-bath.md) - According to Motorola, my Xoom 2 Media Edition has a waterproof coating outside and in. This obviously means that it is intended for reading in the bath, which is full of water. I simulated a standard full-immersion today, and was saddened to notice that almost immediately, I could see water soakin… - [Brunch, according to ‘Hunter’s Weekly’, 1895](https://zulusierra.co/brunch-according-to-hunter-s-weekly-1895.md) - According to an article in Hunter’s Weekly in 1895, brunch is “cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Clearly more brunch is required, whi… - [Autumnal copse at Blenheim](https://zulusierra.co/autumnal-copse-at-blenheim.md) - Autumnal copse at Blenheim‌‌Explore Ze Stuart's photos on Flickr. Ze Stuart has uploaded 807 photos to Flickr.www.flickr.com - [Autumnal avenue and Blenheim](https://zulusierra.co/autumnal-avenue-and-blenheim.md) - Autumnal avenue of trees at Blenheim Explore Ze Stuart's photos on Flickr. Ze Stuart has uploaded 807 photos to Flickr.www.flickr.com - [The roaming problem with iMessage](https://zulusierra.co/the-roaming-problem-with-imessage.md) - UPDATE It appears I might have been too hard a judge: having just sent an iMessage, iPhone was unable to deliver it for a few minutes, then automatically sent it as SMS. Clearly this doesn’t work all the time, which is a shame. — — — - The scenario: you’re using iMessage to communicate with someone… - [//PROPOSED NEW IT COMMUNICATIONS STYLE CONTENTS TO FOLLOW](https://zulusierra.co/proposed-new-it-communications-style-contents-to-follow.md) - R 181719Z OCT 19 UNCLASSIFIED// MARADMIN 621/11 MSGID/GENADMIN/ITM OXF ECH// SUBJ/SERVER REBOOT// POC/XXX/CIV/UNIT:MCUB/-/TEL: XXX/TEL:DSN XXX /EMAIL:ITSUPPORT@COMPANY.COM// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. SERVER REBOOT SCHEDULED FOR THIS EVENING 2200 2. NO EMAIL ACCESS FOR 30MINUTES FROM 2200 3. RELEASE AUTHOR… - [A small note defining coffee types and their acceptance in polite society](https://zulusierra.co/a-small-note-defining-coffee-types-and-their-acceptance-in-polite-society.md) - I remember the title of a book from when I was younger, There’s an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood: A Book of Rather Silly Poems and Pictures, and the weirdos put me in mind of people I see drinking coffee. An americano with steam milk and foam, for example. Which is what, other than a wa… - [A short video on how to remove a suture](https://zulusierra.co/a-short-video-on-how-to-remove-a-suture.md) - This short video depicts the removal of a suture with a Swiss army knife, a Leatherman MUT, and some hand disinfectant. 1. Sterilise everything. Your hands, the tools, the suture and surrounding area. 2. Cut the suture with the scissors from your SAK: these provide an opposing force, unlike a knife… - [Testing the resilience of a Lexar 16GB USB Firefly Jumpdrive](https://zulusierra.co/testing-the-resilience-of-a-lexar-16gb-usb-firefly-jumpdrive.md) - After careful consideration, the Lexar 16GB JumpDrive Firefly was selected as the official IT memory stick. It’s red colour makes it easy to differentiate between it and the white corporate USB flash drives, and it’s small size made it easy to grab a fistful in a hurry. This is built upon by its ca… - [Insoluble soluble suture removal](https://zulusierra.co/insoluble-soluble-suture-removal.md) - Step 1: apply lidocaine (sharp scratch, followed by mild burning) Step 2: poke around with syringe Step 3: poke around with a blade Step 4: apply more lidocaine Step 5: use forceps to forcibly remove insoluble soluble suture Step 6: squeeze and stretch the area enthusiastically to ensure the object… - [Grellow Beatles](https://zulusierra.co/grellow-beatles.md) - Army ants march up my arm, snipping and pinching all asunder. In go the grellow beatles, ready to pillage and plunder. Amidst the tramping orange-bottle feet, I’m left in a cold blue thunder. - [“Woman begins by resisting a man’s advances and ends by blocking his retreat.”](https://zulusierra.co/woman-begins-by-resisting-a-man-s-advances-and-ends-by-blocking-his-retreat.md) - So said Oscar Wilde… - [Man proposes to Woman via Portal II, with reeeaaalll GLaDOS](https://zulusierra.co/man-proposes-to-woman-via-portal-ii-with-reeeaaalll-glados.md) - Is there nothing that science can’t do? - [Imagining the zombie apocalpyse](https://zulusierra.co/imagining-the-zombie-apocalpyse.md) - As I cycled to work this morning I tried to ignore passing cars, and instead replace them with eerily deserted day-time streets, imagining instead of the light day-bag on my back (Goruck Echo) a loaded out survival kit (Goruck GR2). ??The occasional slosh as I dodged a pot hole of a salvaged can of… - [Bug out Bag for the London Riots: exitus acta probat](https://zulusierra.co/bug-out-bag-for-the-london-riots-exitus-acta-probat.md) - Now this isn’t going to be inflammatory, I thought it worth posting my BoB that I put together. I found myself getting off a flight back from the West coast of the US on Monday afternoon, straight into a rioting city: not the usual riot of choice of where to eat and drink, but actual rioters, a lam… - [O tempora, o mores!](https://zulusierra.co/o-tempora-o-mores.md) - Whilst originally used by Cicero, questioning why Catiline hasn’t been executed for conspiracy, it seems equally relevant now. - [Occasionally Sir drinks](https://zulusierra.co/occasionally-sir-drinks.md) - And when sir drinks, he likes to get his tripod and snap a long-exposure photograph on occasion. Depicted here is an empty bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask, kindly donated by the American Contingent. Buoyantly, Sir imbibed the bottle, marking keen observations about its palette, unfortunately the m… - [In’n’Out Burger](https://zulusierra.co/in-n-out-burger.md) - Sir is a fond observer of local custom, often following the ravenous hordes to find what titillates their buds in his locus. Today’s salivatory stalking led Sir to In’n’Out Burger, a primarily West-coast chain that proudly proclaims ‘Always fresh, never frozen’. Brushing his passing thoughts about… - [Flour Tortillas](https://zulusierra.co/flour-tortillas.md) - I love this recipe for flour tortillas: * 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling Pantry * 1 1/2 tsp baking powder Pantry * 1 tsp salt Pantry * 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for bowl Pantry * 3/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp warm water Shamelessly stolen from http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/fresh-flou… - [10 ways to keep IT emergencies from derailing your vacation](https://zulusierra.co/10-ways-to-keep-it-emergencies-from-derailing-your-vacation.md) - 8: Consider destinations that are conducive to privacy Some destinations are more conducive to privacy than others. For example, I spent my last vacation in Antarctica. During that time, it was physically impossible to contact me. Antarctica is beyond the range of most of the communications satelli… - [Supper at Côte](https://zulusierra.co/supper-at-c-te.md) - Sir opened this evening’s consumption with foie gras served on brioche, which was (to the quite murmured approval of the audience) lubricated on its way with a snifter of Château la Sabatiere 2005 Monbazillac. Following a brief round of applause, some polite questions and a brief brow mop, Sir proc… - [Bourbon Sour](https://zulusierra.co/bourbon-sour.md) - Shake 45ml of Woodford Reserve Bourbon with 30ml of lemon juice and a dash of agave or gum syrup. For body and health, add in some egg white. (Don’t be a coward; people will only laugh.) Strain into a tumbler with ice and a Maraschino cherry. Drink. Although if you need that last instruction self-t… - [How to cure a work-related headache](https://zulusierra.co/how-to-cure-a-work-related-headache.md) - 1. Take a couple of your favourite pain killers. 2. Get some food on the go. 3. Whilst the food is going, have a shower. 4. Whilst the food is finishing, shake one measure of Hendricks gin, and two measures of Grey Goose vodka with a teaspoon of honey and some ice. 5. Drink cocktail with food. 6. R… - [Hola Pelotas](https://zulusierra.co/hola-pelotas.md) - Como você está? - [The Cost of Task Management](https://zulusierra.co/the-cost-of-task-management.md) - In looking for a new task management system, I’ve been amazed by the price. OmniFocus OS X: £44.99 iPad: £23.99 iPhone: £11.99 — — — — — — — — — — - Total: £80.97 Things OS X: £29.99 iPad: £11.99 iPhone: £5.99 — — — — — — — — — — Total: £47.97 2Do Universal iOS app £3.99, but apparently no desktop… - [Storm in a coffee cup](https://zulusierra.co/storm-in-a-coffee-cup.md) - A video recorded on iPhone 4, and edited with the Vimeo application (best viewed on Vimeo as Posterous has not realised it’s a vertical video). - [Sensationalist journalism](https://zulusierra.co/sensationalist-journalism.md) - A lovely girl linked me to a piece on Yahoo! (frankly, what is there to Yahoo! about?), claiming that the serial killer currently indulging his whim may be Dexter come-to-life. Fascinating. There have been three links between murders and the series so far (thanks Wikipedia), each time where the kil… - [Cross Bones Graveyard](https://zulusierra.co/cross-bones-graveyard.md) - ‘I was born a Goose of Southwark by the Grace of Mary Overie whose Bishop gives me licence To sin within The Liberty.’ From The Book of The Goose: The Southwark Mysteries, John Constable Crossbones In the back streets of south London, a short walk from Shakespeare's Globe, Southwark Cathedral and T… - [The list of titles when booking at the Royal Opera House](https://zulusierra.co/the-list-of-titles-when-booking-at-the-royal-opera-house.md) - … - [Big Bang Theory: a victim of its own success.](https://zulusierra.co/big-bang-theory-a-victim-of-its-own-success.md) - You will notice the title is a statement, not a question: Big Bang Theory is a victim of its own success, and without due care on the part of the script-writing team, the traditional mid- to late-season slump will run for the length of the series. The original cast included Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, a… - [Google Nexus S and a Nokia BH-505](https://zulusierra.co/google-nexus-s-and-a-nokia-bh-505.md) - I found a few people asking this but no concrete answers: Can I use NFC to pair my BH-505 with my Nexus S? Short answer: no. You have to pair the old fashioned way. But, but: once paired, wave your Nexus S over the back of the headband and the headset will turn on and connect to the last device the… ## Optional - [RSS Feed](https://zulusierra.co/rss/) - [Sitemap](https://zulusierra.co/sitemap.xml) - [Full content of pages and posts](https://zulusierra.co/llms-full.txt)