This is what happens on your computer if you leave it on overnight.
You will LOVE this!

Just click on the picture above, click on play,

then leave the mouse alone, sit back and enjoy

a piece of creative brilliance.

I wonder who had ‘time’ to do this.

I have been using all kinds of imaging, photo and graphic software but there is one thing that I could not do until today. It is how to convert an image into a perfect circle. For shapes such as squares and rectangles it is a walk in the park with several softwares capable of resizing into whatever width and height that was needed.

But for circles it was one item that I could not find an online image generator anywhere on the internet that would do the job for me. Hence, I had to get back into my Photoshop and learn how to do it. By the way, I am not an accomplished Photoshop user yet.

So, for anyone who is interested to know how an image can be crafted to display as a perfect circle, here is how it is done with Photoshop.

How I do it with the use of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 with illustrations to help you along.

!. Open Photoshop Elements

2. Select EDIT
3. Goto FILE -> OPEN and import the image file

4. On the left navigation menu, if yours display RECTANGULAR ELLIPTICAL
MARQUEE TOOL, right mouse click on the icon to open a side menu and select the ELLIPTICAL MARQUEE TOOL.

5. Move your mouse cursor over the image. Your mouse cursor will display a “+” (crosshair) cursor.
6.Left click your mouse and hold the left button as you drag your mouse cursor till it forms a circle over the location where you wish the image to be displayed in a circle. Having done that, release your left mouse button.

7. Next, move your mouse cursor back inside the encircled location and right click your mouse. A small window opens. You click on SELECT INVERSE.
8. This will form a second dotted frame at the perimeter of the image.
9. Next go to the navigation tool bar and select the MOVE TOOL. It should be the first one at the top. Move your mouse cursor anywhere on the image outside of the circle, and then go to EDIT and click CUT.

10. Go to FILE, click on SAVE AS, give your file a name and save it as a JPG format.

Resizing your circled JPG file

1. Go to FILE, OPEN and import the JPG file that you just saved.
2. Go to IMAGE and click CROP
3. Point your mouse cursor at the tool tip to resize the image to the size that you deem fit.

4. Save the file in its original file (JPG) format.

How to add transparency for the background area that surrounds, outside the encircled image?

1. Go to FILE, OPEN and import the resized JPG file that you just saved.
2. Create a new layer in order to save the image. Double click on the LOCK in your right, in the Layers section.

A layer window opens, you click OK

After double click, you would see this displayed at your right navigation bar.

2. Select the MAGIC WAND TOOL from your navigation tool bar.

3. Click your mouse cursor in the at any part of the background area.
4. Go to EDIT and click CUT
5. The resized encircled image will now display a checkered background.

6. For transparent image files, save the transparent background encircled image as a PNG or as a GIF format.

7. Create a new layer in order to save the image. Double click on the LOCK at your right navigation bar, in the Layers section.

8.. Eliminate the white part by selecting the MAGIC WAND TOOL on your left navigation bar. Left click inside the white part in your picture, and hit DEL key on your keyboard or you can also go to EDIT and click CUT.

9. Now you save the image in PNG or GIF, so you can have a transparent image.

And finally, this is the encircled image that is produced.

Why did I go through all this learning process?

I wanted to change my Avatar from a square image to this…

There are occasions when a Blogger needs to make adjustments to images or to superimpose texts and embellish their images that are needed to be published at their article.

It is not always the case where a blogger has either the software application at his home computer to execute his need or he may be out of town and is updating his Blog from a different computer.

Such being the circumstance, there are several online image generators that he can access to fulfill his need. Here are few recommended sites:

1. Image Resizer

Resize your image online in three simple steps! Trouble mailing your images? Trouble putting your image online? Resize your images here; it’s a free service.

2. Rounded Corners for images

3. Mosaic Maker

Make a mosaic from a photoset, favorites, tags, or individual digital photographs or images. It’s a whole world of creative photo possibilities — themes, colors, shapes. So, get that digital camera out and shoot some photos!

4. Adding Special Effects to images

Adding special effects to your images : Looking for a quick way to spice up your images? This tool makes it easier to add special effects to existing images.

5. Image and Photo Editing

Free online image editing tools, online photo editing tools, 3-D textmaker, animated banner maker, animated greetings maker.

There are of course many other FREE online image generators on the world wide web web that offer their brand of image do-it-yourself. Some of these however have a downside because they embed their Company name in the image that you produce (and not at an inconspicuous location).

It can be said, “what man proposes, hacker disposes”. The advancing number of reported cyber crimes warrants that one has to be absolutely vigilant when connected to the Internet.

It is a horrifying fact when one discovers that his Blog has been hacked. By hindsight, as always is the case, the victimized Blogger would ponder for several hours or even days, how could that ever have happened.

In a bizarre case, my Blogpal, Lainy of Lainy’s Musings who also runs three other Blogs most recently discovered that her Domain for , “Our Journey To Fovever“ was hijacked, transferred to a different external webhost (it still is at this time of publishing this Article) and then redirected the Blog to another website. It’s even more serious than to lose one’s Blog and all the contents.

Google “internet security” and there’s volumes there to read and to learn about this issue. For now, I wish to keep it in line with why I started this Article. Short of there being software security loopholes, there are very simple basic rules one must abide when managing a Blog and a Domain.

I shall enumerate these basic rules.

1. NEVER allow anyone to purchase and register a Domain name with an external webhost. Do it yourself and keep the UserId and Password in safe keeping.

2. NEVER allow anyone to access your external webhost account by revealing your UserId and Password, regardless of how seriously you need “technical” assistance to fix or to setup something. There are other ways to get the solutions that you need.

3. KEEP your Domain registered as Private with your external webhost. It is worth the small added annual fee.

4. NEVER allow anyone to know your login information. Period.

5. DO NOT register your Domain and your Blog with the same email address.

6. CHANGE your password to your external webhost account, your Blog dashboard login and your email at both these accounts at periodic intervals of your own time choice.

7. REMEMBER that it pays to keep your computer secure. People tend to get lazy about how vital this is especially as hackers have become advanced with their methods to intrude into your computer without you ever knowing.

8. If circumstances for you has reached a point where you HAVE TO allow someone to login to your administrative dashboard to solve an issue beyond your ability, MAKE SURE that you change the password IMMEDIATELY after the matter has been addressed/solved.

Anti virus is no just the preventive any more. A computer user who consistently browses on the internet is just another digit for the hacker who is waiting for his opportunity to make his intrusion.

Security software address different threats. For example, an Antivirus software protects against malicious code designed to either disable or corrupt a computer’s operation. The most dangerous computer viruses attempt to take control of a computer. But there are other threats besides virus.

Apart from being very cautious when receiving emails that have attached files from an unknown sender, you need to arm your computer with deterrent software that detect, forewarn and stop malicious intrusion to your computer.

1. Keylog scrambler

2. Anti Spyware

3. Anti Phishing

Believe me, it really pays to secure your computer or otherwise face the probability of an unfortunate day, losing precious and even very personal information to an unknown prowling hacker while you’re surfing the Internet.