Home servers offer inexpensive cloud storage to consumers

We recently wrote about AOTERRA‘s decentralized server network that doubles as eco-friendly heating for homes. Now Space Monkey is another alternative to energy-consuming data centers that replaces standalone hard-drives with inexpensive home cloud storage devices. To have access to digital data at home, consumers currently need to buy an external hard-drive – which they have to connect to their computer every time they require a file stored on it – or use a cloud service – whose prices are aimed at businesses and can often be as high as USD 800 a month for 1 terabyte of storage. One reason for these high prices is the cost of running a data center, where servers are packed next to each other and require intensive cooling to avoid overheating. Space Monkey’s alternative is a device around the same size a large external hard-drive, which sits in the home. Rather than placing their important files onto the device, it works as part of a network of cloud servers located in other residents’ homes. Users’ data is stored across the network and – instead of high monthly costs – the Space Monkey is available to buy USD 120, while cloud storage is a more affordable USD 10 a month.