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Cheapskate exclusive: Get a lifetime ZipDrive personal-cloud subscription for free

Normally $10 a year, this handy service turns your PC into a secure file server for photos, music, movies and more. Plus, Jabra Elite 65t earbuds for just $32.

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
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Here's a real problem: You have a big library of music or movies, but not nearly enough space on your phone to hold it all. Similar problem: You've shot a bunch of photos and videos on your phone, and now your storage is nearly full; you need an easy way to offload the extra. (This is especially problematic now that Google is ending free unlimited photo storage.)

Situations like those can benefit from a "personal cloud," meaning a PC that doubles as a secure server for files you can access from anywhere. If you've heard of tools like Kodi and Plex, you get the idea.

If that sounds like something you could use, good news: For a limited time, and while licenses last, Cheapskate readers can get a free lifetime ZipDrive Basic subscription for one PC. It normally costs $10 annually -- not a lot, obviously, but free is better.

Wait, ZipDrive? No relation to the old Iomega Zip drives of yesteryear. Owned by cloud-storage service iDrive, this is basically a desktop software client (available for Windows, Mac and Linux) that enables remote file access. By default, it makes your entire hard drive available, but you can limit the scope to a select folder if you prefer.

Once you've installed the client, your drive is accessible via a web browser or the ZipDrive app (which is available for Android and iOS). Everything is completely secure; no device gains access without your approval.

In addition to accessing files remotely, you can upload photos and videos from your mobile device and choose files to share with others. The apps support viewing and even editing of Microsoft Office documents.

The tool isn't perfect, however. For starters, if you want to limit access to just one folder, you can -- but you can't select multiple folders. It's either your entire hard drive or an individual folder.

Also, while the ZipDrive apps allow you to stream music from your PC, they're poor music players. Any big library of MP3s, for example, is presented as a single long list of songs. They're not sorted by artist, album or even folder.

But, hey: It's free! Even if you use this for a single purpose, like streaming your video library from afar or replacing a potentially hackable cloud-storage service with one that's local and secure, it's worth a look.

Your thoughts?

Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds: $32 with code

02-jabra-elite-active-65t

The Jabra Elite Active 65t are a steal at $37. Or get the regular Elite 65t for just $32.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Now here's what I call a closeout. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Jabra's eBay store has the certified-refurbished Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds for $32. That's after applying promo code PREZDAY20 at checkout.

Arguably an even better deal: The Jabra Elite Active 65t for $36.79 with that same promo code. Both models are "like new" and backed by a two-year Jabra warranty, meaning there's zero risk involved.

A few things to know: The 65t hit the market about three years ago with a $170 (!) price tag; the Active 65t followed a few months later at $190. Both received high marks from CNET's David Carnoy, who cited better-than-AirPods sound quality (though at the time there were no AirPods Pro for a more accurate comparison).

The difference between the two? The Active 65t offers better sweat resistance (hence the moniker) and a "grippier" design. Both are great for calls. Read Carnoy's Elite Active 65t review to learn more.

Amazing deal, folks. Highly recommended.

Watch this: Jabra's Elite 65t earphones have some advantages over Apple's AirPods

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