There's ever more reason to worry about entrusting our data to big tech companies, but the convenience and ubiquity of web services like Gmail and iCloud make it hard to consider anything else. Helm's server aims to create a seamless and equally convenient alternative, letting you host your own email, contacts, and calendar, as well as store files and photos yourself—no snoopy tech giant pulling the strings. Set up your Helm with its mobile app, then access its contents from anywhere. Your data stays safe in your home, where it's protected by multifactor authentication, including a physical security key. The 4.3-inch-tall Helm comes with an expandable 120 GB of storage, and it regularly uploads a fully encrypted backup to the cloud so you won't lose everything in a fire. There are always some challenges to striking out on your own—like having important emails caught in friends' spam folders after you switch—but if you want to get scrappy with your privacy, this handsome machine will help you do it in style. ($99 annual subscription after the first year)
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