If you already use it, then you know that LESS is a "time and byte-saver" when creating + serving stylesheets (if not, you should definitely check it).

You either use the .less files directly (via less.js or on the server with Node.js) or compile them into CSS from command-line and use only the CSS.

Crunch is a free Adobe AIR application that eases the compiling part without the need of command-line but via a user-friendly interface.

It is a simple CSS/LESS editor with syntax highlighting and multi-tab support.

Once a LESS file is saved, the CSS version is created automatically (which is handy for anyone willing to develop with LESS but don't want to rely on JavaScript on the client-side).

When creating websites, previewing them in different browsers to ensure that they are rendered correctly is a painful process. The same goes for the mobile websites. Many different browsers, models and sizes.

Mobilizer, a free Adobe AIR application, displays previews of any given URL or local files (HTML, image or Flash) inside multiple mobile devices.

It currently supports iPhone 4, Palm Pre, HTC Evo, + Blackberry Storm and more devices are to-be-added soon.

The previews doesn't have to be one-by-one and each device-preview can be opened as separate windows for an easier comparison.

Also, the previews can be exported as .PNG files which is very handy.

Piwik is an open source website analytics application which provides detailed statistics about visitors, keywords, pages & more in real-time.

It can be installed on an any PHP-MySQL compatible webserver & the rest works similar to Google Analytics; inserting the tracking codes into the websites we want to track.

One installation of Piwik can track unlimited number of websites which is great for web design companies who would prefer to offer a branded/customized solution to their customers.

Also, the user interface is fully customizable: you can drag and drop the widgets you want to display and create a report especially tailored to you.

The application is built around plugins which means it is possible to add/remove features easily.

Its open API makes integrations with 3rd party software possible. And, here are 2 desktop applications that use this API to bring Piwik to your desktop:

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Every designer & developer loves handy tools that simplify frequent tasks.

And, even if you've a complicated software that does the same thing, usually it is much more effective to run a tiny, fast-loading application that does the job.

This is a list of 27 functional Adobe AIR applications that can help a web designer to design & develop:

• Better
• Faster
• More organized

Info: If you don't have Adobe AIR installed, it can be downloaded from here.

Web Snapshot

Very nice application for taking snapshots of any webpage.

It enables you to configure the snapshot sizes & lets you choose whether the snapshot be a thumbnail, browser size or the full page.

WebKut

Using WebKut, you can take snapshots of an entire webpage, parts of them or a selection.

The tool's interface helps a lot by showing the size of the area selected, letting the user to choose the image format & quality.

Pixus

A pixel ruler that enables you to measure the size of any object..

With browser skins, overlay mode and screen size presets, you can also preview how your design will look in the real environment.

Web & interface designers will love it.

PixelPerfect

PixelPerfect has 1 job to do: measure things on your desktop.

While designing a website or looking for the size of an object in a website, you can run this ruler & that's it.

Icon Generator

A little application that lets you generate a CS3 or Web 2.0 style icon, in only 3 steps. Pick color, type characters, and save it. Icon is generated in 4 different sizes.

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