When I first heard about Node.js, I may well have scoffed. I don’t tend to scoff a lot, but using JavaScript to run a server engine seemed a bit like circumnavigating the globe in a swan-shaped paddle boat.

Don’t get me wrong, I love JavaScript. I also love giant swan boats, but I know that they don’t travel well, and they don’t do well in high seas. At any rate, JavaScript is often the right tool for the right job when it comes to creating dynamic front-end interfaces when you don’t need a lot of power, like say on a mobile device. But running a server using Javascript seemed a grossly underpowered swan boat for this particular ocean. So I dug deeper and what I found was badass.

Figuring out what’s best for your business in the ever-changing world of mobile content may mean making some smart decisions around whether your content should be delivered via a thick or thin client.

The thickness of a client refers to how much processing is done and how much data is stored on the client device versus the servers it interacts with. The more data and processing done, the thicker the client becomes. For example, take two different calendar applications.

Time to kick back and learn some new things?

Here’s a handy list of links of our book reviews of web design, technology, digital media, workplace, and other book categories from the Mightyblog during 2009-10. See what you may have missed on the bookshelves. Tell us what you think about the ones you’ve already absorbed into your brain. Happy reading!

Tim attended the CS5 Launch yesterday in Chicago at Ascend Training and found the Adobe Story from script to metadata was a pretty cool feature. Industry-wise, Adobe’s purchase of Business Catalyst and Omniture could potentially give some CMS and Analytics tools a run for their money too.

Here’s a quick rundown on what’s new with Adobe® Creative Suite® 5 Master Collection: a comprehensive toolset for designing across media with Design, Web, and Production Premium packages.

We often times find ourselves at a loss for what to do when working with a program we know inside and out and love deeply, but have to blend it with another program that’s as confusing to us as the opposite sex. It’s at times like these, however, that working with people who specialize in various programs makes life (or at least the work part of life) so much easier. Such was the case when Travis, audio and video guru, and Joy, Illustrator-loving pixel princess, put their minds together to figure out a simple animation task. This series of posts is for all of you frustrated Flash-lovers who would like a bit of advice about transitioning from Illustrator to Flash.