Digi-quest

Reading Time:2 minutes

Published: 12:00am, 13 Jul 2008

I want to e-mail a friend on the mainland about my sister's problem with endometriosis, but I don't know how to use the Chinese-language feature on my computer. Is there a way to look up words and get an image that I could send? Name and address supplied

DQ: I was certain this would not be possible but after a bit of Googling, I found a great site. It is not perfect but it will do the job with only a little effort. The English-Chinese Medical Dictionary, at www.esaurus.org, seems thorough, although I am not exactly qualified to say so. The entries are arranged alphabetically and you have to click on a square representing the first letter of the word you are looking for. The entries then appear in a box and they are in image format, not text. Unfortunately, you have to save the entire box and not just the entry you want. (Save it in the same way you would any image: on the Mac, drag to the desktop; on Windows, right-mouse click and save.) Once it has been saved, you can edit it with any image editor. Just cut away the definitions you do not want.

For years, I've used an application that allows me to dial telephone numbers from the address book on my home computer. Is there an alternative program that would work with my Leopard operating system-based iMac?

Eric Spain, Mui Wo

DQ: This is a tricky issue, but it is understandable that you would wish to change applications. The program Dialectic from JN Software, at www. jonn8.com, seems to work well. It is the upgrade to the application called Jon'sPhoneTool.

There are lots of options, including a quick-dial function. I have not tested all the features but the program is supposed to be able to connect to a mobile phone, via BlueTooth, and dial out that way. JN Software has created the ability to time your calls - which is useful if you are a consultant - and you can even have a 'while you were out' message. I am not certain how that works if you do not have an assistant. This software is not freeware; it costs US$22, which may or may not be seen as reasonable, depending on your needs. You can try it for free and see if making calls becomes easier.

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