This was posted 7 years 6 months ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Lifetime Access to 1TB of Cloud Storage for USD $29 ($38.89) (Was $3,600 99% off), 2TB US $49 @ Zoolz

45

I saw this deal on Windows Central.

Zoolz Dual Cloud 500GB Archive Storage
Details & Requirements:
Amazon AWS infrastructure
Updates included
Includes: 500GB Archive Storage
Auto backup

Compatibility:
RAM: 512MB
Hard drive space: 200MB
Windows 7 or later
Mac OS X 10.7 or later
Android & iOS (viewing only)

Zoolz Dual Cloud 500GB Instant Vault
Details & Requirements
Amazon AWS infrastructure
Updates included
Includes: 500GB of Instant Vault

Compatibility
RAM: 512MB
Hard drive space: 200MB
Windows 7 or later
Mac OS X 10.7 or later
Android & iOS (viewing only)

A Review: https://www.cloudwards.net/review/zoolz/

Apple pricing: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201238
Google pricing: https://cloud.google.com/storage/pricing

Mod: For 2TB US $49 option see here. Condensed deals as many providers are offering the same or similar deals for Zools.

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Windows Central
Windows Central

closed Comments

  • +19

    "Was $3,600" LOL.

    • +2

      Loolz.

  • +4

    Lifetime (of the business) Access to 1TB of Cloud Storage for USD $29

    • -1

      Still a good price when compared with others:
      Apple pricing: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201238
      Google pricing: https://cloud.google.com/storage/pricing

      • +13

        yeh… except apple and google has infinitely higher chance of still being around when i die compared to your company.

        PS: I am 80 yrs old.

        • +5

          For the record, It is not my company. I just shared a deal with the community thinking it might be of benefit to someone

        • +1

          It doesn't actually specify who's lifespan… a fly's lifespan is about 2 - 4 weeks and it's usually born in cow dung:) sorry OP no offense but pretty much like this deal it stinks! unsustainable

        • I logged in just to say this is brilliant

  • +4

    (Was $3,600 99% off)

    i would neg for the original price being so dodgy to start with.
    NO DEAL

  • +1

    Gee that's a big discount. So there was a 99% markup on that $3600 price.

    • -5

      since the OP is so generous with 99% off… might as well give to us for free? 100% off?

    • +3

      In fact the mark-up is more like 11900% (!!!)
      ((3600-29.99)/29.99)*100

    • how much do your data/family photos value? $1000? $1M, $100B? How much will you pay to get them back IF you lost all of them in "Ooops" sec say hard disc failure?

      • +2

        Loaded a copy of all 350GB of family photos in Google Photos (albums) at no cost…

        • Good on you. Keep up the good work. Remember backup, backup, backup. I shall reward you with a vote. Nowadays a lot of cloud storage companies offer 1 TB of photo storage for free. In this case we are not only talk about photos but also PC data backup as well. Your Google cloud storage might not offer that capacity. It is best to check.

  • Maybe if one of the big guys offered…

  • +1

    How long is a lifetime?

  • +13

    Unsustainable Ponzi scheme to make money in the short term. I'm negging this deal because there is no way this will be usable after a short period.

    • -2

      Yeah that's very helpful.. isn't it? Because you "think" and not have any valid facts to prove that the company won't last another 6 months? Just do a quick google and see, this deal has been posted around Jan 2017 as well in many forums such as Engadget, Androidauthority…etc.

      • +2

        like that $3600 figure is true lol, there was that 1TB storage provided by Tenzen, now that I see lasting for a long time. No offense to you op, it's just the name of the game, small companies can't compete with the margins of the likes of Google and MS.

        • Yeah I get what you are saying about the deal, it sounds too good to be true. Tho the reason I submitted this was that it has been published by many tech forums since October last year. So thought it might be useful for someone at least for a short period.

      • +5

        Yeah that's very helpful.. isn't it? Because you "think" and not have any valid facts to prove that the company won't last another 6 months?

        I don't think but I know that they won't be around. It'll take time for people to start using the storage, some will only use a little but soon the money will stop flowing and the owners will at this point do a runner.

        Do the maths, AWS prices are public and explain how this is sustainable?

        Without transfer costs included to have 500GB in each of the two tiers above the monthly cost is US $17.75 and they are charging US $29 for lifetime access!!!!!!!

        Just do a quick google and see, this deal has been posted around Jan 2017 as well in many forums such as Engadget, Androidauthority…etc.

        Wow so you think they maybe rely on gullible people to spread the word and the deal had been running for a whole four months!

        • +2

          I haven't upvoted nor bought this deal, but here is an explanation of their cost structure:

          https://www.cloudwards.net/review/zoolz/

          Edit: I just noticed that this is the same link as in the OP. Anyway…

          Zoolz certainly is one of the cheapest cloud backup solutions for consumers out there and that is possible because they make use of Amazon Cold Storage system “Glacier” which allows them to archive files at a very low cost. Why wouldn’t you use Glacier? Well, you could but it is fairly complicated to set up. Zoolz gives you an easy to manage software client that even your grandma can use.
          Using Glacier not only makes Zoolz cheap but it also makes restores very slow because file retrieval can take a couple of ours. Other services are a lot faster because they use their own file storage and server infrastructure.

          For the record, Glacier is around $0.004 per GB/month for most regions, so it's more like $2/month (and that is assuming that every customer uses up their quota). One should also assume that this is a promotional period to receive some feedback and reviews, and they will start making profit from monthly subscriptions once that period ends.

          That being said, I am still not convinced that they will be around when you need to access your data. And Glacier is really slow to restore.

        • +3

          @bio:

          For the record, Glacier is around $0.004 per GB/month for most regions, so it's more like $2/month (and that is assuming that every customer uses up their quota).

          Ok so that is US $13.50 per month for 500GB of standard and 500GB of glacier storage and they are charging US $29 for lifetime access. And don't forget transfer costs!

          One should also assume that this is a promotional period to receive some feedback and reviews, and they will start making profit from monthly subscriptions once that period ends.

          Actually one should assume this is a scam. The ongoing costs from these essentially free accounts will be enormous.

          Assume 50% usage and a twenty year life that's US $6.75 per month which is US $81 per year and US $1620 over the life all for US $19 (minus the resellers cut say $10). Sure storage costs will come down over that time but I haven't factored in transfer costs and these can easily add US $5-20 per month.

      • +1

        It's not about random guessing, it's about predicting the business sustainability; paying AWS to provide 1TB of storage is going to burn through $29 USD very quickly. Now obviously there are other business strategies to consider (ie, the majority of users won't come close to using 1TB) however even with low estimates of storage usage you're going to burn through the initial investment very quickly.

        Look at a company like Backblaze, who have more or less pioneered efficient long term online storage, and you see even their rates would last only 6 months at that price.

      • Both price figures are way off.
        For a 1TB you can calculate the cost of a 1TB space in HW plus replacements plus hosting plus profit margin.
        So if the offer would be around $400 it would start to be believable.
        Anything less is false advertising, as you would not be ever able to provide 1TB service to all customers for $40. The HW would cost you more. The $40 would hardly cover the first year.
        Amazon, Google etc can afford it as they have massive user base and many other services and they can afford to provide storage to lure customers to them.
        I am sorry but I am going to bet that this service will not exist in 3 years time (or even less than that)

        • +1

          For a 1TB you can calculate the cost of a 1TB space in HW plus replacements plus hosting plus profit margin.

          It's hosted with Amazon, I used the Amazon pricing for my figures so they're correct. There are no hardware costs.\

          So if the offer would be around $400 it would start to be believable.

          This would only cover 3-4 years at Amazon with 50% usage (500GB).

    • You've clearly got no idea about the company, but hey, don't let the fact that you're clueless stop you voting.

      • You've clearly got no idea about the company, but hey, don't let the fact that you're clueless stop you voting.

        You have no idea at all, I've done the figures and if you think there is an error prove me wrong. What is your affiliation with the company or are you another victim who wants others to take up the offer so you can prolong it's demise?

  • +6

    likely be afloat until they get some money out of suckers and then go bust, seen this before, I second Maverick-au, looks like a ponzi scheme.

  • +20

    Dammit, I just paid $3600 for this last night.

    • +5

      sweet, that means this company should stay afloat for awhile then. might buy the 99% off deal now

  • +3

    Have a look at the security concerns raised in the last deal for Zoolz posted - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/299256

  • +4

    Appreciate the effort for posting the deal, dealspider but I'm going to agree with some of the people here.
    This seems like it is more like ''life of the business' and not an actual lifetime.

    I would hate to have photos saved on their cloud and then for them to all of a sudden say they are closing down.

    This price is unsustainable in the long term.

  • +1

    I presume the business model relies on people not utilising their TB in full, hence economies of scale on resale.
    It is not a bad idea, particularly if you combine with data de-duplication, based on the fact that backups have so much common data.

    However that business model may become unstuck when people start filling up their storage and using encryption to protect their data.
    IMHO is just a matter of time.

    my2c

  • I think they have missed couple of zeros for the rrp. It should have been $360,000. But great savings, shows how much one should trust the rrp.

    • RRP is only a device for manipulating your very malleable sense of value, or what is a bargain, by using the anchoring effect.

      The effect occurs whether you know this or not, 100% unconsciously.

      Allowing it to be listed on this website means some people will think something is a bargain where they would not have if the RRP number was not published right next to the price.

  • Vendor in title please.

  • How is this even sustainable as a business? LOL

  • +1

    A Ponzi scheme with a ludicrous RRP. I'm rushing in with all the other fools!!

    • Be reasonable. We should form an orderly queue.

  • What a joke.

  • +4

    Thank you OP for posting this deal. I am one of those people (dump ass) who has been using Zoolz cloud storage for the last 3 years. No problem with them so far and they have been backing up 2 computers and 2 NAS for me regularly. They are comparatively slow but I use them as a 4th backup system. Depending what your objective is, extra backup do no harm. This is a good price for a life time offer and I would recommend this for anyone who want extra offsite backup.

    • It is great to see some feedback from someone who really used the service. Really appreciate your feedback. I for one, like you, thought I can use this as another backup source. so I am one of those dumb ones. Yeah I can see so many super smart people in this forum :P

      • Keep you composure please. It is OK that people disagree with you and appreciate their POV.

        I am in IT business and yet I made a terrible mistake resulting lost 2 good years of my children's photos and some business data. I learn the importance of offsite data storage as well. Yes I have dual NAS running in series but they both are stored in the same location (home office). Dad dislike the idea of having my NAS at his place. Besides he might even throw my NAS away without telling me. Having seen people have their house burnt down and lost all photos always engrave in my mind. Offsite storage makes all sense. People put photos on Instagram, Flick, Google photo, Facebook, Twitters, Google Drive, iCloud etc… and yet it is alright to store photos at those cloud storage. Remember even Google, iCloud and Yahoo have had security issue before. Just remember backup, backup, backup.

        OK I am in IT business and keep telling people to backup and yet I made a big mistake. My wife still would not forgive me.

        • +1

          It would make sense if someone makes serious allegations about a company/service with concrete facts. At least a forum post or a review. But if people troll saying this is bad or this excellent purely because you feel/think so, that's not going to help anyone but mislead.

          For example, few years ago I used one of these cloud storage deals (free), I think it was hubic or something. I uploaded some of my photos while setting up a NAS for my home network. I was playing around with FreeNas. It was all good. After a couple of months I wanted to see some of my old photos and noticed the drive that contained those files has been wiped and formatted using ZFS. Thanks to that cloud backup, I managed to recover my files. But it wasn't great, I mean Hubic. But it helped recover my files.

          So at this price, even if you use it for 6 months, still cheaper than the big players. I would not recommend this for only backup solution but would definitely use as a secondary backup.

        • +2

          @dealspider:

          At least a forum post or a review.

          I did link to the past Zoolz deal, in that I posted links to 3 reviews that are quite damming of the service.
          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/299256#comment-4557723

          You can take some solace in this deal only having 3 down votes to the other posts 5 down votes.

        • @snuke: Seriously I don't care how many downvotes I get for my post. It really discourage people to share information when few people are trolling.

          Those links you shared, out of those three only BestVPN author is critical of data encryption the reason being, that Zoolz would delete account if a user upload copyright infringement material to their cloud. Other two reviews, authors do not tell it is bad.

          oh and by the way, I have seen people neg a deal just because it availables only to a specific state or suburb.

        • @dealspider:

          that Zoolz would delete account if a user upload copyright infringement material to their cloud.

          It was more than just that, it was their lie in claiming zero knowledge of data

          "how exactly is ‘metadata checking’ (filenames, not actual data it should be stressed) in any way ‘zero knowledge’? It also means that when the data is being encrypted client-side, the software is sending this metadata to Zoolz!"

          oh and by the way, I have seen people neg a deal just because it availables only to a specific state or suburb.

          Yep, seen that too, some people are morons.

  • Backblaze are $5 pm unlimited storage …..so it's possible to aggregate users and use the $5 subscription for 100s of users.

    Problem can be speed and how much you can upload …… Hence backblaze unlimited as most users are limited by speed or broadband plans.

    • +2

      Backblaze are $5 pm unlimited storage …..so it's possible to aggregate users and use the $5 subscription for 100s of users.

      Backblaze don't use Amazon, the price is per computer, they limit you on what you can upload and they charge a sustainable amount for the service that they offer.

      Backblaze is slow.
      Backblaze is limited to one computer.
      Backblaze is difficult to move from one computer to another.
      Backblaze has a limited interface.
      Backblaze won't let you upload from network storage.

      This deal is utterly unsustainable and only a fool would claim otherwise. No-one has disputed the facts that I've posted with pricing yet they still support this business model, I guess the question of why so many people get scammed is being answered in this deal.

  • +3

    I have never understood all the downvotes with lifetime deals. I've been using Zoolz for a while with no problems. You would think (hope) that they've done the maths and have concluded that they can offer this to raise capital and not get into too much trouble. Perhaps they have considered other factors, such as a percentage of the people buying these deals might have a business and like the product, and are more likely to enter into a subscription arrangement. Yes, there is probably a higher chance that they might go bust, but for keeping a cloud backup of data I think it's a great deal for 1TB of storage. And if they disappear in a few years, it still ends up a lot cheaper than other providers. I see this similar to companies like Plex that offer a lifetime Plex pass. Yes, if everyone buys that they are out of business, but a lot of people buy via subscription, helping them stay out of trouble. Posts like this make my see why people are cautious about posting deals on Ozbargain…

    • I guess the critical point is: "probably a higher chance that they might go bust"
      Not sure who/why would risk it… But as long as you are comfortable, it is a good deal!

    • Exactly my thoughts.

    • Agree. Don't use a single cloud storage as a single point backup. Always have other means of offsite data backup as well such as portable HDD(s). I have 3. 2 for pcs and one I travel with at all times.

      • +1

        Yeah, I learnt the hard way to have more than one backup.

        Thought I was all good having a NAS in RAID 5, until two of the drives failed within days of each other while I was out of town. Now I have three backups too :)

        • I have 2 NAS. 2 different brands. One in Raid 6 and other is Raid 10. Yes. We always learn the hard way.

    • +1

      You would think (hope) that they've done the maths and have concluded that they can offer this to raise capital and not get into too much trouble. Perhaps they have considered other factors, such as a percentage of the people buying these deals might have a business and like the product, and are more likely to enter into a subscription arrangement.

      How have they done the maths? This is a cash grab, nothing more, nothing less. This is not about raising capital when the income only covers two months of useage! Of course a business is going to sign up for this plan and then decide to take up a corporate subscription! LOL.

      Yes, there is probably a higher chance that they might go bust, but for keeping a cloud backup of data I think it's a great deal for 1TB of storage.

      A higher chance? It's guaranteed!

      I see this similar to companies like Plex that offer a lifetime Plex pass. Yes, if everyone buys that they are out of business, but a lot of people buy via subscription, helping them stay out of trouble.

      How is this similar? Are you unable to do basic maths?
      * For this deal we know how much the underlying storage costs and the payment they receive doesn't cover two months of average useage!!!!!
      * For Plex we don't know their operating costs but we'll assume 40% of the yearly price so $20 per year per user but remember this is mostly development costs not outgoings like Zoolz. Yearly subscription is $50 and a lifetime subscription is $200, assuming $20 a year (and this is already on the high side) they are covered for ten or more years but of course most people take up the monthly plan. This is sustainable EASILY.

      Posts like this make my see why people are cautious about posting deals on Ozbargain…

      So you would rather see obvious scams be ignored and we allow the ignorant to get ripped off? Sheesh if you can't see that this unsustainable by all means keep using it.

  • +1

    Unlike the morons downvoting for exactly no actual reason (welcome to OzBargain, home of the clueless) I've been using this for over two years and it's excellent.

    • Unlike the morons downvoting for exactly no actual reason (welcome to OzBargain, home of the clueless) I've been using this for over two years and it's excellent.

      No-one cares if you've been using it, the fact is that this is totally unsustainable and this happens often by companies to raise a lot of money quickly before they disappear. I've posted the figures and the amount they are charging won't cover a few months of use let alone a lifetime.

      Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

      You can call this a Ponzi scheme or Pyramid scheme as they both apply, in fact it's probably a mix of the two.

      • You really don't mind displaying your ignorance about the company, do you?

        • You really don't mind displaying your ignorance about the company, do you?

          I can only assume that you are advertising this product using affiliate links like all the websites that were listed as "proof" this wasn't a scheme of some sort. Of course all those so called reputable websites are using affiliate links so they make money from people buying the service.

        • @Maverick-au: Man, no end of truly stupid assumptions. Which, TBF, is not the least bit surprising, given everything you've posted has been entirely stupid assumptions on your part.

  • +1

    Some examples of similar businesses that have gone down this same path and closed soon after and there are plenty more.

    SkyHub Cloud

    Used Amazon for their storage and sold lifetime plans online.

    https://stacksocial.com/sales/skyhub-cloud-2tb-backup-lifeti…
    https://stacksocial.com/sales/skyhub-cloud-unlimited-backup-…

    "Things are changing at Skyhub.
    I'd like to take a second to explain where things sit right now. Since our inception, we believed in our business model of welcoming new customers with an unbeatable Cold Storage deal then pushing upgrade subscriptions to instant storage to balance things out.
    Unfortunately, the monthly and annual subscription numbers we anticipated never materialized, leaving Skyhub an unsustainable business. So, it’s with great regret that that we’ll be closing down immediately.
    But don’t worry, we’ve enlisted the help of Zoolz, one of the best cloud backup providers, to help you keep your data protected. Their discounted promotional offer will allow you to resume daily protection of your pictures, music, videos and documents. There’s no need to download your data. When you switch to Zoolz, they will ensure all your files are transferred to their servers automatically."

    https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/54zya0/skyhub_…

    Pogoplug Cloud

    One weeks notice of closure, sold many unlimited plans online cheaply in the leadup to their demise.

    http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-insight-deals/deals-lifetime-sub…

    "Today we are announcing that Pogoplug Cloud will be shutting down on September 28th. After 5 amazing years building this product we are incredibly grateful to all our users who supported us on this journey.
    We understand that many of you will have questions about your data. At 9am on September 28th, Pogoplug Cloud will no longer be accessible. All data that remains on our servers will be securely and permanently destroyed."

    https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/53s0a6/pogoplu…

  • Merged from Lifetime 2TB Cloud Storage and File Security Worth $3600 Only $49 ($65.68 AUD) or 1TB Priced $1800 Just $29 ($38.88 AUD) Zoolz

    One Single Payment, Lifetime Storage

    Get today one of the best cloud storing services for businesses and homes in the world. It doesn’t just store documents, photos, videos, images or audio files. Instead, it analyzes every file, structuring it in such a way that makes it easy and quick to locate, just like a search engine. But that’s not all. In just a few clicks, you can secure all your files with military-grade encryption. Just for a limited time, you can have Zoolz Lifetime 1TB Pack normally priced $1800 USD for Only 29$ in a 98% discount! And if you need more storage we’re also offering the 2TB Lifetime Pack worth $3600 USD just 49$ (99% Off). Make one single payment for your lifetime plan without any monthly fees!

    Features

    Preview your RAW photo files directly from your mobile device or via any web browser, no need to convert them to JPG.
    Automatic: Cold Storage files are backed up with the rest of your files instantly.
    Easy data Selection: Use Smart Selection, add files and folders to Cold Storage and Zoolz will do the rest.
    Lifetime Storage: Store all your retired media without additional costs and Zoolz will store them forever.
    On-premises replacement option: Replace your prone to corruption externals, tapes, SANs and NASs.
    Fast and Easy deployment.
    Ability to backup unlimited External (USB, eSATA, Firewire) and Network drives.
    Fully featured product with backup scheduling, bandwidth throttling, icon overlay, file retention, and more.
    Incremental: After the first backup, only new and changed files will be backed up.
    Block Level Backup: Backs up only block changes of large files such as Outlook PST.
    Durable and reliable: Your data will be stored redundantly in multiple facilities and on multiple devices in each facility.
    Deduplication technology: Files are compared against 3 levels of deduplication; machine, company, and global, before being processed to avoid re-uploading duplicated files.

    • $3600 reduced to $49? You're too generous.

    • What is their definition of lifetime?

    • +3

      Likely to be Ponzi scheme

      Please refer to previous comments on Tuesday in Lifetime Access to 1TB of Cloud Storage for USD $29 ($38.89) (Was $3,600 99% off) @ Zoolz thread.

      • "Please refer to previous comments on Tuesday" - since Tuesday it appears that the 'regular' price of 1Tb has dropped from $3600 to $1800 - might be worth holding out for further price drops.

    • Does 'lifetime' mean the lifetime of this company? Based on the scale of discount, this company might not survive too long…

      • nah plenty of people have paid $3600 already. They should stay a float for a while.

    • wait so last tuesday the 1TB was worth $3600 but today only $1800?

    • This is nothing but a scam pure and simple. Other companies that have done the same end up closing soon after. This is not sustainable, I've posted the actual costs in the other post but the amount your pay only covers two months of their costs.

    • Some examples of similar businesses that have gone down this same path and closed soon after and there are plenty more.

      SkyHub Cloud
      Used Amazon for their storage and sold lifetime plans online.

      https://stacksocial.com/sales/skyhub-cloud-2tb-backup-lifeti…
      https://stacksocial.com/sales/skyhub-cloud-unlimited-backup-…

      "Things are changing at Skyhub.
      I'd like to take a second to explain where things sit right now. Since our inception, we believed in our business model of welcoming new customers with an unbeatable Cold Storage deal then pushing upgrade subscriptions to instant storage to balance things out.
      Unfortunately, the monthly and annual subscription numbers we anticipated never materialized, leaving Skyhub an unsustainable business. So, it’s with great regret that that we’ll be closing down immediately.
      But don’t worry, we’ve enlisted the help of Zoolz, one of the best cloud backup providers, to help you keep your data protected. Their discounted promotional offer will allow you to resume daily protection of your pictures, music, videos and documents. There’s no need to download your data. When you switch to Zoolz, they will ensure all your files are transferred to their servers automatically."

      https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/54zya0/skyhub_…

      Pogoplug Cloud
      One weeks notice of closure, sold many unlimited plans online cheaply in the leadup to their demise.

      http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-insight-deals/deals-lifetime-sub…

      "Today we are announcing that Pogoplug Cloud will be shutting down on September 28th. After 5 amazing years building this product we are incredibly grateful to all our users who supported us on this journey.
      We understand that many of you will have questions about your data. At 9am on September 28th, Pogoplug Cloud will no longer be accessible. All data that remains on our servers will be securely and permanently destroyed."

      https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/53s0a6/pogoplu…

    • -1

      SCAM DEAL!
      no deal at all.

    • +2

      Agree with everything said so far

    • Zoolz seems to charge US$10/month for the 1TB plan, so for $1800 value that works out to be 15 years. Maybe this is their definition of lifetime. Anyway, the site looks dodgy. If you need cloud storage go with one of the big providers (Google/Amazon/Microsoft/Dropbox), they'll still be around in 15 years.

  • +1

    Zoolz main focus are business customers. They probably created this offer for home users to help create awareness about their product in the market. Similar to how dropbox was a very consumer product initially but they now try to target more business customers as there is where they can generate better revenues. They have some decent name customers in their portfolio.

    • +1

      Hey, no facts wanted, this is all about "feelings," this thread.

  • -1

    Amazon ends free unlimited cloud storage!
    https://www.crn.com.au/news/amazon-ends-free-unlimited-cloud…

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