X

Get 1TB of cloud storage for life for $35

From the Cheapskate: Actually, it's 500GB of "hot" storage and 500GB of "cold." What's the difference? Plus: a Jawbone Jambox for under $40!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
3 min read

CNET's Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones , gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.


"There is no Dana... only Zoolz!"

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I love making fun of ridiculous company and product names. (Sony Clie, anyone? I'm Watch? Microsoft Kin?)

I'm not saying cloud-backup service Zoolz borrowed from the original "Ghostbusters," only that it's a pretty silly choice of moniker.

There's nothing silly about this deal, though: For a limited time, you can get a 1TB lifetime Zoolz cloud storage subscription for $35. That's after applying promo code STACK4 at checkout.

Here's the risk in choosing any cloud-storage service not called Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive : Can it survive the long haul? What if Zoolz' lifetime turns out to be, oh, 18 months? Certainly lots of seemingly similar services have come and gone, and this is your data we're talking about.

Turns out UK-based Zoolz has been in the biz since 2010, mostly focusing on cold-storage technology (based on Amazon Glacier) for businesses. The company claims over 3 millions users and partners including Acer, Canon and Dell.

zoolz-dashboard.jpg
Enlarge Image
zoolz-dashboard.jpg

The Zoolz desktop client is streamlined and simple.

Zoolz

So, yeah, it doesn't strike me as fly-by-night. Not at all. There are no guarantees in life, of course, but this might be something worth considering if you're looking to, say, add a cloud component to your current local-backup setup.

In fact, your 1TB allotment consists of 500GB of "hot" (meaning instant, Dropbox-like) storage and 500GB of "cold" storage -- the kind you use as a semi-permanent archive. (It takes 3-5 hours to retrieve files from cold storage.)

This particular Zoolz plan derives from the company's Zoolz Home offering, though there's no exact equivalent: In addition to the 500GB/500GB setup, StackSocial's deal is good for two machines (i.e. two users). The closest equivalent (with three users) would cost you $150 per year. This is $35 and you're good forever.

Hopefully. I won't say there's no risk involved, but from what I've seen of both the desktop client and the company's bona fides, this is a pretty stellar cloud-backup deal. The only downside I see is that it doesn't appear to support media streaming, only thumbnail previews of any photos you archive. Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Every so often I run free ebooks courtesy of TradePub. Quick survey: Like? No like? Hoping the former is true, because here's another one: TradePub is offering "Windows 10 Tutorials" for free in exchange for some info about your biz (starting with a work email address or your LinkedIn account). The book -- provided as a DRM-free PDF -- walks you through 120 of the operating system's "most popular functions." Sadly, the one thing I need help with -- OneDrive -- isn't covered.

Bonus deal No. 2: If you're leery of the no-brand, questionable-reviews speakers I routinely share around these parts, here's a very well-known product with actual professional reviews standing behind it: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Yugster has the refurbished Jawbone Jambox portable Bluetooth speaker for $39.97 shipped -- about $10 less than you'll find it everywhere else. Hard to believe, but this speaker was $200 when it debuted back in 2010! It's a longtime favorite of mine, and a steal at this price.

Actually, Staples has the same thing for $36.99, but you'll be on the hook for sales tax -- probably a wash for most buyers.