Andru Edwards of Gear Live with some of his holiday gift picks.
Andru Edwards of Gear Live with some of his holiday gift picks.

It’s a GeekWire holiday tradition! Andru Edwards of tech review and news site GearLive returns to the GeekWire radio show and podcast this week to share his last-minute holiday tech gift picks — including tablets, smart lightbulbs, video-game accessories, and a great living room device for cord-cutters.

Listen below, and continue reading for more on the products we discuss.

We start with a discussion of the iPad Pro and the Microsoft Surface 3, including some of Andru’s thoughts on Microsoft hardware chief Panos Panay’s comment on the show last week that he’s never used one of the new Apple tablets.

Andru shares his thoughts on the iPad Pro’s stylus, the Apple Pencil, which has surprised him in terms of functionality. But he concludes that, for him, the iPad Pro isn’t enough to replace a laptop.

Another of his picks is the Fire, Amazon’s $50 tablet, which Andru recommends over other budget Android-based tablets.

In the second segment, we discuss the Philips Hue, the smart lightbulbs, as an entry point for home automation for people on your list. We also talk about the Apple Watch as another potential gift, on the premium end of the spectrum.

From there, we delve into the world of video games, the Xbox One vs. the PlayStation, and the Xbox Elite Controller as a potential gift. Nintendo’s amiibo are great stocking stuffers for people who have a Wii U or a new Nintendo 3DS XL.

In the last segment, Andru reveals his top gift pick, the TiVo Bolt entertainment system. And on this extended podcast version of the show, we get Andru’s advice on video cameras — his preferred camera right now is the Panasonic Lumix G7 — and his thoughts on external storage devices, including the Western Digital My Book Pro. Check out his video review of that product below and see more of his videos on his YouTube channel.

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