It’s the time of year when fruitcakes sell like hot cakes, and so do Apple Inc.’s iPod media players. And yes, there’s a connection.

You remember ­iPods, right? Just 11 years ago, the first of them delighted music buffs worldwide. Apple has sold over 350 million since. But Apple’s own iPhone, and millions of other smartphones, have made the “pure” media player obsolete. The iPod is Apple’s only major product line with falling sales — down 30 percent from two years ago.