1. NodeJs

2. Node.js® is an open-source platform built on Chrome's
JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network
applications.
Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that
makes it lightweight and efficient, perfect for data-intensive real-
time applications that run across distributed devices.
Current Version: v0.10.35
Excerpt - nodejs.org

3. Highlights
Is able to run on every platform
Microsoft is really backing the Node project
Tons of modules (not just web)
Run several instances, it’s single-threaded
Great for heavy traffic and # of connections

4. Event Loop

5. Simple example
var http = require('http');
http.createServer(function (req, res) {
res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
res.end('Hello Worldn');
}).listen(1337, '127.0.0.1');
console.log('Server running at http://127.0.0.1:1337/');

6. The Bad
Asynchronous means callbacks everywhere
It’s still in “beta”
There are so many modules to sift through and
some have gone stale

7. Why Should I Care?
Major companies are shifting over to it (Paypal,
Walmart, Groupon, Medium)
StackOverflow popularity: 66k+ posts
Jobs (try searching Indeed or CareerBuilder)

8. Some practical uses
Live reloading a web page locally
Website builds (Grunt, Gulp)
Making mobile apps (Titanium, Ionic)
Meteor and CodeWars