cloud storage

Two free ways to encrypt Google Drive files

This month marks the sixth anniversary of my Google Drive account. I've been aware since the beginning that the thousands of files I have uploaded to the service are stored unencrypted on Google's servers.

That hasn't prevented me from uploading plenty of sensitive information to Google Drive, including dozens of invoices that list my address and the amount of money I was billing for, although the invoices do not include any bank-account or Social Security numbers.

I could have easily encrypted the files using any number of free services. In last May's "Free services make Gmail, Google Drive, and Google search more private,&… Read more

Last-minute Father's Day gift: One year of unlimited cloud storage for $79

This is an update of a deal I wrote about earlier this year.

Need a last-minute Father's Day gift for Dad? Nothing says, "Thanks for being such a great guy" like unlimited online storage.

Through Sunday, you can get a one-year Bitcasa Infinite subscription for $79 when you apply coupon code JUSTFORDAD at checkout. That's not quite as sweet a deal as it was last time out (the subscription was $10 less), but it's still a very good price for Bitcasa's unique brand of no-limit cloud hold-'em.

The service supports all the major … Read more

Use Google Drive on Android to save receipts

Do you keep the receipts for everything you buy? Like me, you've probably noticed that the ones printed on thermal paper can begin to disappear over time. Soon, you're left with only a blank piece of paper that can't act as a proof of purchase or help you at tax time.

Wednesday's update to Google Drive on Android lets you easily store all of your receipts and even search through them. Doesn't a nice digital archive sound better than piles, folders, or boxes of receipts all over your home? Here's how to … Read more

Backup That turns your e-mail accounts into cloud storage

Savvy cloud-storage seekers know they can get 2GB free from Dropbox, 5GB from Google and SugarSync, 7GB from Microsoft, and so on.

Of course, there's no way to pool all that free storage into a single, unified cloud drive. That's precisely the idea behind Backup That, a new service that leverages the space available in your various e-mail accounts to give you potentially unlimited storage.

After registering for the beta, you choose one or more mail accounts to link to your Backup That account. The latter currently works with AOL, Gmail, GMX, Mobile Me, Yahoo, and other mail … Read more

Free services make Gmail, Google Drive, Google search more private

It's no secret that any information you provide to a Google service is no secret.

When Google changed its terms of service last year, the company granted itself and any other company it chooses complete, unfettered access to anonymized (we hope) versions of all the messages you send and receive via Gmail, all the files you upload to Google Drive, and all the terms you enter in the Google search box.

As CNET's Rafe Needleman reported in April 2012, Google's rights go beyond simply perusing your personal information. Google's terms of service include the following:

When … Read more

Verizon set to roll out Cloud storage 'in the coming weeks'

Verizon Wireless is getting into the cloud business in a big way.

In the coming weeks, Verizon said Tuesday, it will deliver cloud-based storage for smartphones and tablets. The company's customers will receive 500MB of storage at no charge, but can get up to 125GB of storage. Verizon is offering four storage plans to customers:

500MB: Free 25GB: $2.99 per month 75GB: $5.99 per month 125GB: $9.99 per month

"The secure storage app gives customers a place to back up and access their information," Verizon public relations manager David Samberg said Tuesday in a … Read more

Multi-deal Monday: Cheap Roku, free CrashPlan, and affordable printing

Quick housekeeping note: Last month I told you about DietBet, an intriguing site that links you with others for a fun (and potentially profitable) weight-loss contest. I set up a game with a $25 buy-in, then waited to see what happened.

Twenty-eight days later, the contest is over. Exactly 400 people signed up, for a pot total of $10,000. Your Cheapskate is now 8.5 pounds lighter. And in a couple days I'll know how many others will join me in divvying up the pot. Bottom line: This was a huge success for me, and whether or not … Read more

Do more with Dropbox's new desktop client

Dropbox updated its desktop client for Macs and PCs yesterday, bring added functionality to the Dropbox window you access either via your Mac's menu bar or your PC's task bar.

The old desktop client was good for getting you quickly to your Dropbox folders or the Dropbox Web site, but it wasn't good for much else. With the Dropbox 2.0 desktop client, you get easy access to your folders and the Web site, along with the ability to initiate sharing a file and accept or decline invites without needing to visit the Dropbox interface. Meanwhile, the … Read more

Everpix adds new Explore feature to rediscover your pictures

If one of your resolutions for the new year was to get your hundreds (or thousands) of pictures gathered up in one place and organized for easier browsing, you'll want to check out Everpix.

The service, which started two years ago, can be connected to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, and Gmail accounts and will pull in pictures from those sources and collect them together in one interface.

It can also be connected to Windows or Mac computers and iOS devices (Android support is in development). Once pictures are uploaded, Everpix analyzes your shots so you … Read more

Get one year of unlimited Pogoplug cloud storage for $39

Just last month I shared a deal on one year of Bitcasa unlimited cloud storage for $69.

This is less.

Through this weekend, as part of a Cheapskate exclusive deal (woo!), you can get a year of Pogoplug unlimited cloud storage for $39. No file size restrictions, no limits on uploading or downloading, just an endless supply of virtual-hard-drive goodness.

Granted, Bitcasa and Pogoplug are, to a degree, apples and oranges. The former works more like Dropbox on steroids, syncing selected folders and even letting you migrate data off your hard drive and onto your cloud drive.

Pogoplug doesn't … Read more