Google smarts: 5 ways to get more out of Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and Docs

Think Big Tech, and I bet Google comes to mind. They control our inboxes, calendars, document storage, cloud storage, routes, and more. Most of their products are free to use,

which means you are the product they are selling. You have options. Tap or click here for my list of search engines that better protect your privacy. We put up with Google

tracking because these services are free and incredibly easy to use. Hey, if you’re in Google’s ecosystem, you might as well get the most out of it. Here are five ways to do

that.  A new study found that Google’s Gmail favors liberal politician candidates, allowing emails from most left-wing politicians to land in the user’s inbox while more than

75% of messages from conservative candidates are marked as spam.  ( Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)5 WAYS TECH CAN HELP YOU FEEL SAFER AT HOME1. A

solution to your packed inbox One of the best privacy features built right into Gmail is spam protection. I’m not talking about a junk folder. This tip is even better. You can

create a new email address, called an alias, without any special set-up. All you have to do is add a plus sign and a word after your username to your email address, like this:

"username+aliasname@gmail.com." A handy use is tying your recurring subscription services to one alias, like this: "username+subscriptions@gmail.com." You can use this trick for

email newsletters, correspondence with friends, neighborhood association info, or anything else you can think up. Pro-tip: This is also an excellent way to see if a company is

selling or leasing your email address. If you notice a message you didn't sign up to receive, see which of your email addresses it came to. Go further: To make aliases truly

useful, you need to filter them into their own designated spots in your inbox. Tap or click here and scroll to No. 2 for directions.  2. Share your emails without giving away the

password Don’t share your email password with anyone. Period. But you can share an inbox with someone. In certain situations, it works really well.  Say you run a small

business and want multiple people to have access to the customer service email. Or maybe someone in your family is sick or just getting older and needs help managing their emails.

They can share their inbox with you. To add a delegate: Open Gmail on your computer and click Settings > See all settings > Accounts and Import or Account > Add another

account.  Enter the email address of your delegate and hit Next Step > Send email to grant access. When you grant someone access to your Gmail account, they can sort emails