I put together the following in my "Tech to try" list. On the offchance that I'm not the only one here unfamiliar with these technologies, I paste a copy here:<p>* Backbone.js <a href="http://documentcloud.github.com/backbone/" rel="nofollow">http://documentcloud.github.com/backbone/</a><p><pre><code> Backbone supplies structure to JavaScript-heavy
applications by providing models with key-value binding
and custom events, collections with a rich API of
enumerable functions, views with declarative event
handling, and connects it all to your existing
application over a RESTful JSON interface.
</code></pre>
%%<p>* Node.js <a href="http://nodejs.org/" rel="nofollow">http://nodejs.org/</a><p><pre><code> Node's goal is to provide an easy way to build scalable
network programs. In the "hello world" web server example
above, many client connections can be handled
concurrently. Node tells the operating system (through
epoll, kqueue, /dev/poll, or select) that it should be
notified when a new connection is made, and then it goes
to sleep. If someone new connects, then it executes the
callback. Each connection is only a small heap
allocation.
</code></pre>
%%<p>* Redis <a href="http://redis.io/" rel="nofollow">http://redis.io/</a><p><pre><code> Redis is an open source, advanced key-value store. It is
often referred to as a data structure server since keys
can contain strings, hashes, lists, sets and sorted sets.
</code></pre>
%%<p>* Socket.io <a href="http://socket.io/" rel="nofollow">http://socket.io/</a><p><pre><code> Socket.IO aims to make realtime apps possible in every
browser and mobile device, blurring the differences
between the different transport mechanisms. ... making
creating realtime apps that work everywhere a snap.
</code></pre>
%%