Cloud storage rocks. It's like an external hard drive that lives online, a place where you can back up important data, easily share files with others, and access documents and media on the go.

Lots and lots of services offer cloud storage. For example, you've probably heard of Dropbox, which offers new users free 2-gigabyte (GB) accounts. SugarSync raises the stakes to 5GB, while Microsoft SkyDrive gives you a generous 7GB.

Not generous enough? Try this: For a limited time, Box is offering 25GB of free cloud storage when you sign up for an account. Free for life. Free with no strings attached. Just plain free.

I know, right? Typically a freebie Box account nets you only 5GB, so this is definitely an offer worth grabbing. And fast: It's called the Gigs for Gameday Challenge, which to me suggests something Super Bowl-related--meaning it could expire at any time.

Box is as comprehensive as cloud-storage services come. It lets you upload or sync files from your PC, share files with others, and tap your data via apps for pretty much every mobile device known to man.

What's more, the service is among the Web's largest, and it's been around for years. It's always better to go with an established company, especially where your data is concerned. Too many startups have offered generous freebie accounts, then disappeared like so many, well, clouds.

Arguably the only catch here is the maximum file size of 250 megabytes. That's fine for most kinds of data, but if you're looking to upload, say, lengthy videos, you might run into trouble.

Even with that limitation, I think this is a no-brainer. Grab your free chunk of cloud while you can!

Veteran technology writer Rick Broida is the author of numerous books, blogs, and features. He lends his money-saving expertise to CNET and Savings.com, and also writes for PC World and Wired.

(Source: Savings.com)