While web application development usually involves developing for public servers, developing “unhosted” applications, meant to be run locally, can be preferable for certain use-cases. Unhosted web applications can run at no cost, with minimal latency, and without the security and privacy concerns that must be considered with public-facing web applications.

For web developers proficient in JavaScript, Node.js is a potential tool for developing unhosted applications. In this talk you’ll learn about why Node makes sense for this type of app and what you’ll need to know to start developing them. You’ll learn about how to get around traditional limitations of the browser using node-webkit and how your unhosted applications can be packaged and distributed to other users.