HTML 5 does more to facilitate the evolution of the Internet from a communication media to an application platform than any other recent web technology.
Stated simply, HTML 5 is the newest version of the Hypertext Markup Language. It can be written in both HTML and XML, and it dramatically increases native web capabilities. It allows developers to use local storage, embedded video or audio in a manner no more difficult than embedding an image, and supports scalable vector graphics, to name just a few of this rich APIs.
For this article, I have collected some of my favorite HTML 5 demonstrations and previews from the last couple of years. These videos show us what can be done and what is being done with HTML 5.
HTML 5: Features You Want Desperately But Still Can't Use
This September 2008 presentation features Ian Hickson demonstrating just what can be done in HTML 5. After this video was made, you can now use most of the HTML 5 features he discusses. You will also notice that the video player controls in HTML 5 have improved significantly since 2008.
Getting Started with HTML 5
Mike Taylor of Tunecore.com gives a basic introduction to HTML 5. I really liked a brief comment (at about minute 31) regarding the semantic value of tags like <aside>.
Introduction to HTML 5
Google Developer Programs' Brad Neuberg gave this excellent presentation in September 2009. He walks through using several HTML features, including SVG support, Canvas, storage, web workers, and geolocation.
Google's HTML 5 Work: What's Next
This presentation from Matthew Papakipos and Ian Fette was recorded at Google I/O 2009. Papakipos and Fette walk through browser support for some of HTML 5's best features. There is also a great question and answer session at the end of the video.
Matt Papakipos Preview of Google's HTML 5 Work: What's Next
Matt Papakipos make this video as a sort of preview for the presentation that I linked to above. I list in here because of what Papakipos says about web applications compared to desktop applications.
HTML 5 And Cache Patterns for Offline Web Applications
In this Google I/O 2009 presentation, Robert Kroeger describes the architecture for developing web applications that work—at least to some degree—offline. This is important for the growth of the Internet as an application platform. Imagine, for example, allowing customers to shop offline—say while they are flying on an airplane—and then submit their order the next time they have an Internet connection.
