Can you smell the holidays? Can you, can you? For me, it's not about the Holy Spirit, Santa or snow - since it seems we're not going to have snow this month - but rather about being able to sit back and enjoy some free days with my friends and family. Even better, I get to buy and receive presents (and, as usual, I hope to get more than I give...), and if Santa reads these lines (although when I was six I noticed that his handwriting looks too much like my father's, and then I established a link that it's better for any kid to make as late as possible; and note that my father doesn't use the Internet), an 8GB iPod nano would be the perfect gift for me. Anyway, if I miss the Christmas iPod, maybe I'll get one from the Easter Bunny, who knows...but let's get back to our Apples now!

Yesterday, Apple sent an email regarding its "twelve days (and nights) of shopping" scheduled to happen at its New York-based retail stores. The reason is obvious, as we just talked about it. "Starting Wednesday, the Apple Store, Soho, and the Apple Store, Fifth Avenue, will be open 24 hours a day until December 25th, so you can shop whenever you want and enjoy free special events along the way", reads the message.

Even better than that, a list of holiday shipping deadlines for Macs and iPods has been posted, so if you need an item by December 25th, all you have to do is place the order before midnight (local time) on the dates listed and select the desired shipping method, according to Apple. If you want to get a laser-engraved iPod, the order must be placed before December 16th; standard iPods can be purchased until the 19th or 20th if you pay for overnight shipping, while most standard Mac models must be ordered by 18th, and Pro ones, by the 15th of December.

These being said, I know it's going to be a really busy week for the shipping personnel at Apple, and I wish them all the best, so that our gifts may arrive in time!