Around The Loop: Get your donuts

It's important to know where to go, and where not to when visiting a foreign city. If you find yourself traveling to "The Mother Ship" I feel like I should impart some wisdom from my time working there.

In other segments I've told you what to eat at Cafe Macs, but what if you're looking for food outside of campus? What if you're really just looking for a tasty round treat. Sure, you could find a Krispy Kreme or swing by the local Starbucks but you don't need to leave home (assuming you live in a populated area) to do that.

It might also be tempting to visit The Donut Wheel because you can walk to it from campus. The Donut Wheel is a fine donut. There isn't anything wrong with it, they're product is fresh, and their assortment is very nice. Allow me to save you some time and direct your taste buds to a more pleasing place.

Head down to Homestead Rd., make a right and continue on to Stan's Donuts. It's a little unassuming hole-in-the-wall sort of place, but they're extremely serious about their donuts. The place is basically a counter and a small display case, but behind lurks a secret recipe and one addictive product. I recommend their classic glazed and be sure to get there early in the AM so you don't find them sold out.

I'm really not a sweets person, but even I can eat a few warm Stan's.

From Within the Loop: Corporate Games

What do you do after you bring the most innovative smartphone to market? You take RECESS. Think Double Dare here gang. Each year Apple employees gather together and assemble teams to compete against each other in the Apple Corporate Games. This event takes place in the summer and teams compete for pride.

The competition would last for an afternoon and events range from the classic tug of war, to the more intellectual word scramble, you know . . . where you re-arrange letters to make as many words as you can in the allowable time frame. Then you have the water balloon launch and catch, trying to catch as many balloons in the allotted time as possible. I think the most intense event was pictionary. I don't think any explanation of the game is really necessary, but it was an extremely intense event. If you were held up on a particular word your chances of winning were slim to none. It made me wonder if teams were scheduling conference rooms for practice during the day.

This is just another example of how Apple is different and really embraces the Silicon Valley environment. The old adage, happy people do great work is so very true.

From Within The Loop: An inside look at Apple

In this installment of From Within The Loop I bring you an inside look into Apple culture. What’s it like to work in Cupertino? Is it true that employees work from 11am to 4pm? Is there a dress code or can you wear whatever you want? Well I’m here to dish the dirt and tell you how it is.

Apple is famous for it’s address, 1 Infinite Loop. It’s also part of the fabled Silicon Valley corporate culture. What I can tell you is that it’s not all fun and games. Like any other company employees get to work in the morning, I’d say most by 9am and leave at 5 or 6 in the evening. Pretty standard.

What isn’t standard . . . volley ball and basketball games during lunch time. Most notably in the spring and summer months, you can find Apple employees enjoying a game of volleyball on the ‘quad’ or taking up a basketball game on the court. Apple also has a sand volleyball court, but I’ve never actually seen anyone using it.

Can anyone find that employee handbook, I can’t seem to figure out what to wear . . . I couldn’t find it either. Apple employees dress however they want. Jeans and t-shirts are pretty much standard, and shorts in the summer are a must. Apple doesn’t care what you wear as long as you’re doing good work, and that’s the way it should be.

Corporate America should take some cues from Apple. Keep your employees happy and they’ll continually do amazing work. Apple gets it. When you spend more hours of your day at work than at home there should be something inherently fun about it. If goofing off for two hours to get a game of volleyball in yields the next iPhone like device I’d say it’s money well spent....

From Within The Loop: An inside look at Apple

From time to time I'm going to give you an inside look at Apple from Within The Loop. Having spent some time at "The Mothership" I have some tips, advise, and insight to share with all the tDL readers and viewers.

This installment of From Within The Loop: Cafe Macs.

No one likes working on an empty stomach, and Apple employees are no different. Cafe Macs is centrally located and is open for breakfast and lunch. Offerings vary from day to day, but you can always find fresh made-to-order sushi, brick oven personal pizza, a fresh salad bar, pasta station, the grill, and my own favorite the built to order burrito.

Burritos vary from breakfast to lunch, but I recommend both. The tortillas are giant . . . much larger than your "standard" tortilla. For breakfast you have your choice of eggs, breakfast meat, and fresh veggies. Lunch is where it gets really exciting . . . behold the burrito bar. Thousands of combinations. I'm convinced you can eat a different burrito every day for lunch for a minimum of five years and not eat the exact same combination once.

Now you may be asking how do I get my hands on such a burrito. It's going to be difficult. The only access to Cafe Macs is through the corporate doors. The only way through there is if you are an employee or are accompanied by one. The good news is, if you do get the chance to eat there, you'll have the inside track.

Do get:

1. The Burrito

2. Brick oven pizza

3. Sushi

Don't get:

1. Hamburger / Cheeseburger