When I asked for folks to name some of their favorite deals, more than a few mentioned Zoolz -- a little-known but increasingly popular cloud-storage service. So today I'm happy to share a rerun of sorts: even more space for nearly the same price as last time!
For a limited time, you can get a lifetime 2TB Zoolz dual cloud-storage subscription for $39.99. That's $10 off the regular price of $49.99, which itself is a colossal savings. (Last time out, the deal was 1TB for $35.)
What's a Zoolz?
Fair question. One could argue there's a 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.
Rest easy: 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 million users and partners, including Acer, Canon and Dell.
So, yeah, it doesn't strike me as fly-by-night. 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 2TB allotment consists of 1TB of "hot" (meaning instant, Dropbox-like) storage and 1TB of "cold" storage -- the kind you use as a semipermanent archive. (Note, however, that it can take several 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 1TB/1TB 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 $40 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 resume, this is a pretty stellar cloud-backup deal. What's more, some aforementioned readers have expressed complete satisfaction with the service, so that's good. (If you're already a Zoolz user, please share your experiences as well!)
Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: One of my favorite items of 2017 (or, at least, that I discovered in 2017) is available again! It's not the absolute lowest price to date, but it's still a great deal: For a limited time, and while supplies last, TechRabbit has the Samsung Gear Fit 2 smartwatch for $69.99 shipped. It's listed here in "new -- hassle-free" condition, meaning it's new, but in OEM (read: plain) packaging.
I've sung the Fit 2's praises many times before. Love the big, bright, curved display. Love the huge selection of watchfaces. Love the onboard storage for music. Love the heart-rate monitoring. Oh, and, duh: love the price!
Product description notwithstanding, the Fit 2 can indeed be used with iPhones, just with a few limits on functionality. (You can't respond to text messages, for example -- you can merely view them.) This is so worth $70, in my humble opinion.
Bonus deal No. 2: If you've never tried Amazon Music Unlimited, here's your chance to get three months of the service for 99 cents. (That's for new subscribers only.) After the extended trial expires, Prime subscribers can continue for $7.99 per month; everyone else will pay $9.99. Actually, you'll automatically get billed at those rates unless you cancel before month four kicks in, so mark your calendar!
Bonus deal No. 3: This is one of those deals that makes me wonder how anyone in the food chain -- manufacturer, distributor, shipper -- makes any money.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, you can get the Victsing programmable wireless mouse for $6.99, shipped free with Prime. That's after applying promo code Q8LEPROV at checkout.
Normally $11.99, this snazzy rodent features six buttons and a low-profile USB receiver (which does occupy a port, of course, but I find that preferable to relying on laptop Bluetooth). And this is a new version of the Victsing mouse; five of the buttons can be programmed, which can be incredibly useful.
Seven bucks!