Why You Can Trust CNET Get 100GB of OneDrive storage for two years, for free
How much does Microsoft want you to sign up for Bing Rewards? About 100 gigabytes' worth.
Lots of little-guy cloud companies offer oodles of free (or dirt-cheap) storage, but there's always the risk they'll go belly-up and vanish into the digital night, taking your important data with them.
Microsoft, I suspect, will be around for a while.
Of course, if you want oodles of storage from that company, you'll have to pay for it, right? Wrong! Microsoft is offering 100GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for two years, (almost) no strings attached.
OneDrive, of course, is the cloud formerly known as SkyDrive, and Microsoft has done an impressive job integrating it into Windows -- arguably making it the path of least resistance for anyone looking to add online storage/backup to their computing environment.
To get this mighty generous freebie (which is for US residents only -- sorry, rest of world), you need just one thing: a free Bing Rewards account. With that done, just head to your Bing Rewards dashboard, then click the "100 GB free" link. From there you simply need to agree to receive promotional OneDrive emails -- a small (and common) price to pay for that much space.
What happens after two years? Hey, that's 2017's problem. Microsoft currently charges $1.99 per month for its 100GB plan, so unless there's a price hike down the road, you're looking at a very reasonable $24 annually to keep your cloud floating.
Interestingly, Microsoft offered a similar deal last year: 100GB of OneDrive storage for one year, though you had to earn and then spend 100 Bing Rewards points. Now you're getting two years just for being a Bing Rewards member.
One final note: this blessing could actually prove to be a curse depending on how much local storage you have available, so you may want to check out my tutorial:
In the meantime, hit the comments and let me know your thoughts on Microsoft's latest attempt to capture cloud-share. Too good to pass up?
Bonus deal: Are you OK to drive? Better safe than sorry. For a limited time, Amazon has the BACtrack Go keychain breathalyzer for $14.99 (shipped free with Prime) when you click the Clip Coupon button on the product page. To my thinking this a lot less hassle than the BACtracks that pair with your smartphone, and an awfully inexpensive way to keep yourself and others safe on the roads. Update: And just like that, this deal has ended. Sheesh, that was short!
Bonus deal No. 2: Game time! If you enjoy lush-looking first-person shooters, and I know you do, IGN is offering Mass Effect Infiltrator (iOS) for free. Normally $4.99, this top-rated outing comes from the makers of Dead Space and delivers an original Mass Effect storyline. Do note, however, that although you're getting the game gratis, it will routinely hit you up for optional in-game purchases.
Bonus deal No. 3: Book time! Humble Bundle has a really cool e-book collection: the Brainiac Book Bundle. Aimed at kids, it's all about science and building and programming and Lego (sometimes a mixture of two or more). As usual, name your own price for some of the titles, or pony up $15 and get the full 13-book collection. Whatever you pay, a portion goes to charity.