1. Adobe Kuler AIR

We’re not talking about the website, but the Adobe AIR version which sits nicely on your desktop. And just in case you didn’t know, Adobe Kuler is a software which connects to a community server to share and rate color sets. It comes in both a website version, and a standalone Adobe AIR version which you can grab here.

You can either copy individual hex values from the swatches, or send entire swatch themes to Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign. Note: to grab entire swatch themes, you’ll have to create an Adobe account then click on Download in Kuler AIR. Oh and you also need Adobe Switchboard, which creates the connection between Kuler and other apps.

CS4 already has Kuler fully integrated within its software suite, but just in case you haven’t got CS4 yet, this will work just as well for your color cravings.

2. Mondrianum

For those on a Mac, you can also access Kuler through this program called Mondrianum. It allows you to replace the Mac built-in color picker with a Kuler enhanced version. So this is like Kuler AIR, except it’s system wide integrated. Apps like iWork, iLife, Google Sketchup, Adobe Photoshop, Coda, CSSEdit and many more will all work with Mondrianum.

Instead of just stuck with color slider bars or the Ball of Rainbow Colors, you can see what kind of colors other people are using and get some inspiration that way. You may not need it every single time, but it sure helps on a creatively dry day.

3. ColorZilla for FireFox

This little tool is so useful, it’s one of the first Firefox plugins that I would install on a new computer. Just right click and you can access all its functions. It can grab any color value on a webpage, select and save palettes and even scan a site for all the colors used. It does exactly what I want it to do and it does it quickly.

There is no quicker way of coding up CSS designs than to do it with this tool. You can download Colorzilla here. And while you’re at it, get SEO for Firefox too. That’s another bread and butter tool I install for Firefox right away. It checks for 20+ types of link, NoFollows etc.

Selecting colors for a design isn’t easy, but these tools make it much easier. Use it for inspiration, and use it to know the competition. Once you get the hang of it, you can even share your amazing color combinations with the global community too. Do you have any other color tools you would like to share?

It doesn’t cover every single city in Canada, but you can call from quite a few of them including: Toronto, Victoria, Calgary, Guelph, Halifax, Kingston, Niagara Falls, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, St Catharines and Windsor.

From those access points, you can then call out to hundreds of cities across Canada for free. Check out the full list at ZeroCents.

There are many well written, perfectly logical guides out there promising that you’ll save 5%, 10% or even 20% in gas mileage. But even with all those tips combined, it just isn’t making much of a difference. Read on for the REAL gas saving tips that the Professionals aren’t telling you!

Use Those Old Tires:
You know those old tires with the smoothed out treads that people throw away? Next time, keep them! The older the better in fact. Think of all those formula one racing cars with those smoothed out tires, they are designed to not grip the road and actually save on a lot of gas. After all, the less often they have to refill in the Pit, the greater chances they have for winning right? Now you know the secret behind those million dollar machines!

How to Get Free Bonus Gas at Every Gas Station:
You know the drill. Unscrew gas cap, fill er’ up, put the nozzle back, pay the ransom. Did you know you just paid extra for the next person in line? It’s true! Next time you get gas, look up at the long tube that connects the nozzle to the top of the gas dispenser, that’s actually a lot of gas in there. All you have to do is lift up the dipped part of the tube so that the gas in the tube slides into your tank. You just got yourself a lot of free bonus gas!

Aerodynamic Tailgating:
I’m sure you’ve all seen at some point in time, a driver who weaves around and tailgates other cars or even you. Pretty annoying right? They are actually demonstrating a new type of highly advanced driving physics technique called Aerodynamic Tailgating. But don’t worry, the technique has been thoroughly tested on many Japanese Professional Race tracks. Guaranteed to save you gas and give you a nice speed boost too.

Free Taxi:
For those of you lucky enough to have CAA or AAA memberships, don’t forget about the annual allocations of free tows. If you ain’t using those perks, you’re actually losing money to the membership. Sure, your car may not actually be broken, but think of how much gas you can save from just one towing! And you can even use the extra time in traffic to finally respond to all those backlogged blackberry emails with 2 thumbs going at the same time!

Green Light Every Time:
Remember these little gadgets that turn traffic lights green? Now is the perfect time to use these to save on gas! Every time you stop your car and accelerate from a dead stop, it actually drains heavily on your gas to get the momentum going again. But if you use it in countries where it has been banned, it could also get you a green light right into jail!

Hidden Car Function You May Not Know About:
For those of you lucky enough to have a foldable side mirror on your car, you may not have realized the true intention of its design. One may initially think that it is for parking in tight spots or to protect itself from crazy people who loves to smash side mirrors. But in fact, it is designed to be folded in when you’re planning to achieve high velocity. Once folded in, it creates a super aerodynamic air bubble that will allow you to achieve the highest gas efficiency possible.

Note: Following the above comedic advice can be potentially hazardous to your health and is certainly not recommended, especially if you drive near where I drive.

Know of another stupid way to save gas? Please share them here!