Our Favorite New Apps From The Node.js Knockout Competition

Over the weekend, over 200 teams of developers met up to participate in Node.js Knockout , a 48 hour coding competition with one basic rule: you *had* to use node.js to build your app. The deadline was midnight on Sunday, which means that the finished applications are currently being subjected to the scrutiny of the expert panel of judges and - perhaps even more terrifying - the general public. The winning team walks away with a whole bundle of prizes, including an iPad for each member. So what is node.js? Without getting super technical, it's a framework for JavaScript that allows developers to easily write programs that run on the server, rather than in the browser like JavaScript normally does. Node's design takes advantage of this fact by using a novel approach to I/O that allows a lot of users to access the program at the same time. If that whets your appetite, Simon Willison gets into some more technical details . Side note: if you like to build things (especially under arbitrary deadlines), using node.js or anything else, you should come show us what you've got at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon on September 25-26 here in San Francisco. Voting for the best application is open now through Thursday night at midnight, so head over and cast your vote. Here are our favorites: