I have seen a lot of posts lately about ColorPicker.NET and agree that it's a pretty cool tool. I do a LOT of design work on my sites (as everyone who knows me can contest to), and I am always looking to find a way to more easily create. As a web guy though, I am rarely concerned with RGB or CMYK. It's really the Hex value I am always concerned with. Additionally, when I am coming up with color schemes or planning design, I am usually using some reference point be it a picture on the computer, website, window background, whatever. Therefore, I have used a free tool called (coincidentally) colorpicker for years. I keep it on my USB key so I have it with me always. It's been a lifesaver many times and is a definite part of my everyday work flow that I could not be without.
Colorpicker is a small is a very small (100x50 pixel on screen) tool that sits on your desktop and shows you the hex value of anything your mouse pointer is over. You can also copy the hex value displayed for pasting into Photoshop, a css file, web code, etc. I push it up into the top of my screen so that only the text box shows on the desktop. Once planted at the top of your screen, it's barely noticeable. I have given it out plenty of times as I have passed in and out of clients throughout the years, so I figured now would be as good as any to blog about it.
PS. Control was made by Chunting TM (no longer in business)