Varnish Cache is a web application accelerator also known as a caching HTTP reverse proxy. You install it in front of any server that speaks HTTP and configure it to cache the contents. Varnish Cache is really, really fast. It typically speeds up delivery with a factor of 300 - 1000x, depending on your architecture.

Performance

Varnish performs really, really well. It is usually bound by the speed of the network, effectively turning performance into a non-issue. We’ve seen Varnish delivering 20 Gbps on regular off-the-shelf hardware.

Flexibility

One of the key features of Varnish Cache, in addition to its performance, is the flexibility of its configuration language, VCL. VCL enables you to write policies on how incoming requests should be handled. In such a policy you can decide what content you want to serve, from where you want to get the content and how the request or response should be altered. And, you can extend Varnish with modules (VMODs).

• Make XMLHttpRequests from the browser
• Make http requests from node.js
• Supports the Promise API
• Intercept request and response
• Transform request and response data
• Cancel requests
• Automatic transforms for JSON data
• Client side support for protecting against XSRF

A local development server that aims to make writing modular client-side apps with NPM + browserify fast and fun.

Insomnia is a free cross-platform desktop application that takes the pain out of interacting with HTTP-based APIs. Insomnia combines an easy-to-use interface with advanced functionality like authentication helpers, code generation, and environment variables.

HTTPie—aitch-tee-tee-pie—is a command line HTTP client with an intuitive UI, JSON support, syntax highlighting, wget-like downloads, plugins, and more.

HTTPie consists of a single http command designed for painless debugging and interaction with HTTP servers, RESTful APIs, and web services:

• Sensible defaults
• Expressive and intuitive command syntax
• Colorized and formatted terminal output
• Built-in JSON support
• Persistent sessions
• Forms and file uploads
• HTTPS, proxies, and authentication support
• Support for arbitrary request data and headers
• Wget-like downloads
• Extensions
• Linux, macOS, and Windows support

Instead of implementing XMLHttpRequest in Node.js to run browser-specific Fetch polyfill, why not go from native http to fetch API directly? Hence node-fetch, minimal code for a window.fetch compatible API on Node.js runtime.

See Matt Andrews' isomorphic-fetch or Leonardo Quixada's cross-fetch for isomorphic usage (exports node-fetch for server-side, whatwg-fetch for client-side).

SuperAgent is light-weight progressive ajax API crafted for flexibility, readability, and a low learning curve after being frustrated with many of the existing request APIs. It also works with Node.js!

The web is (in 2015) a place where security is increasing essential, and always under threat. It is also a space which needs to be consistent, logical, and user-serving. There follow some thoughts following many recent discussions of "HTTPS Everywhere" and points west.